Cat and Mouse
by Lift the Wings
Summary: Maeve Brady didn't understand; SHIELD never seemed to get the picture. Two and a half years of an incredibly difficult game of cat and mouse should have showed them she wasn't interested. But something had Fury's panties in a bunch and she always was rather curious. What'd they say about curiosity and cats? Eh, at least she get to save the world in the meantime, right? THOR/OC
1. Prologue

I'm horrible. I start new stories all the time… I have how many waiting to be finished right now? Too many, that's for sure! So, I haven't decided who the romance will be with – I'm really leaning toward Thor; if you want, please give me some input! Who do you like? Who don't you like?

Oh, I have to say, though; it's not going to be Loki… Just sayin'…

Disclaimer: I don't own _the Avengers_. But I'd be super excited if I did…

Prologue

The roar of the waves crashing against the craggy shoreline echoed around me, calming me. Rain pounded each and every blade of grass into the ground, pouring out of the deep, gray clouds overhead. Still, the driving droplets didn't deter me enough to get up and seek shelter; in fact, I remained motionless on the cliff's edge, resting back on my striped haunches, my long, black-tipped tail flicking slowly, methodically, behind me. Staring out over the churning waves, I stretched slightly and lowered my body to the ground, arms reaching out ahead of me on the muddy ground.

Resting my chin on my folded arms, I sighed contentedly, my heart rate finally returning to normal as I lazily blinked the water from my eyes. Where I should freezing, having been soaked to the bone, I simply watched, peacefully and mildly interestedly, the heavy droplets hit the water below. The cold didn't affect me, not in the way it did everyone else; in fact, I was rather warm, my striped coat catching the water and sending it trailing down to the ground on either side of me.

Somewhat bored now, I tried humming _Glad You Came_, but all that came out was a low, guttural growl. _Ahh well, I'll just sing it in my head, then…_

Huffing tiredly, I casually twitched an ear, picking up every little chirp and twitter from the trees at my back, every splash and crash of the waves below. I had finally stopped running, my pursuers getting lost in the thick foliage and bristly underbrush. Safe for the moment, I burrowed myself into the ground; unless it was SHIELD, I wasn't worried about them stumbling upon my little hideaway.

It was along the coast – obviously – but nearly a mile and a half in the air. The jungle at my back was incredibly thick, filled with more than a few dangerous creatures (myself _not_ included) that my would-be captors would have a rough time tangling with. The peak I found myself on only had a small stretch of grass; about three hundred yards from the trees to cliff's edge. Closer to the edge was a patch of knee-high, pale green stalks – the patch I currently hid myself in.

_Good luck finding me now,_ I smirked, huffing and checking my cover once more. Believe it or not, but the stripes actually _helped_ me hide. Never _did_ understand that – since when were people unable to pick out black and white from light green? – but hey, I wasn't complaining at the moment.

But suddenly, my ears perked up and I pressed myself further into the mud, eyes on the sky. The dull, repetitive thudding roared over the pounding waves and the pelting rain; I found myself eating my words. Peering quickly over my shoulder, I wondered if it was possible for me to dart back into the jungle before the helicopter landed.

_I don't see it yet…_, I mused, wrinkling my nose and glancing quickly up at the sky, indecision weighing me down.

Just as I made to stand, the helicopter burst into sight, out of the clouds just overhead, and began its rapid descent toward the ground. Crouching low, ears pressed against my skull, I bared my teeth and let out a low, menacing hiss.

This was _not_ how I planned my vacation…

The force from the helicopter's blades bent the trees back, away from the cliff, and sent my cover to the ground. Claws dug deep into the soft mud, I backed away from the approaching craft. In the threshold stood a woman in a skin-tight black jumpsuit, her flaming red curls whipping around her face.

Romanoff. Last I knew, she was in Russia…

While I half-expected to see Barton at her side – those two were more inseparable than they liked to admit – I found myself surprised to see a man of average height, probably in his forties, clinging to the doorway as if his life depended on it. Obviously, he wasn't a SHIELD agent and was nowhere _near_ thrilled about the flight.

The helicopter landed smoothly – a quick glance at the cockpit showed me that Barton was nowhere to be found – and immediately, the secret agent hopped out. She quickly made her way toward me, foregoing the gun at her hip; what if it wasn't me? What if I was just one of the locals? She might've ended up missing a hand, that's what…

"I-I don't think that's such a good idea," the man called, his voice uncertain as it carried over the slowing blades, "that's a… a really big cat…"

Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I gave the spy a warning growl, one that actually had her stopping, brows furrowed, and reaching for her weapon. Still, she didn't reach for it – props to her – and called out, "Maeve Brady?"

Sitting up, I narrowed my bright, blue gaze and gave a slight nod. No use trying to fight; Natasha was an acquaintance (not a friend; I don't think she counted anyone as a friend, except, of course Agent Barton). Not to mention, there was a roaring ocean at my back and I didn't particularly feel like going for a swim…

"We need your help," Romanoff stated, raising an arm and shielding her face from the driving rain, "Director Fury asked me to come and collect you, along with a few others."

Peering past her, I watched the unfortunate man she had wrangled onto whatever crazy team Fury was planning; he looked between the agent and I, obviously unsure if she had lost her mind somewhere between picking him up and landing in one of the remotest parts of Asia.

_Hehe, talking to a cat…_ _she probably looks ridiculous… _

Squinting at the man, warning bells erupted in my mind; I knew his face, and probably for good reason, but at the moment, I was drawing a blank. Probably the weeks on end of moving around the country in this form; made me a little dense after a while... Still, while he seemed harmless enough, I couldn't help but notice the agitation rolling off of him in waves.

Animals and their sixth sense and all…

"Are you gonna turn back; I think you're freaking him out and that's honestly the last thing we need right now…," the agent folded her arms across her chest and scowled, tossing a thumb back toward the other guy.

Shaking my head, I lifted a shoulder; I wasn't about to shift back into a person when I didn't exactly have anything on. No need to flash anyone, thank you very much.

Rolling her eyes in irritation, Romanoff simply nodded swiftly and turned on a heel, making her way back to the helicopter.

_Why don't you just assume I'm along for the ride?_ I rolled my eyes, hesitating a moment as I eyed the SHIELD helicopter warily. As the agent climbed back into the aircraft, the man continued to watch me, his dark brow furrowed upwards as he nervously peered over his shoulder. The question was quiet, but I heard it all the same.

'That thing's not getting in with us, is it?'

Huffing, I stalked forward, reaching the helicopter in a few long strides; the man stumbled backward, his deep, brown eyes widening in horror. Placing my massive paws onto the floor of the chopper, I hoisted myself gracefully in as Romanoff laughed, "Might not want to refer to her as 'it', Dr. Banner. She doesn't like being insulted."

The man dropped gracelessly into his seat, his panicked eyes never leaving my long, striped form. Nodding fervently, he muttered, his cheeks flushing pink, "Right, sorry. I, uh, I didn't mean anything by it…"

Huffing, I made my way to the back of the helicopter as another agent slammed the door shut. Tensing at the sound, I peered over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing slightly; I wasn't the only suspicious one in the group. The doctor, Dr. Banner as Romanoff called him, was gripping the edges of his seat in a tight, painful grasp. His eyes squeezed shut, it was obvious he was trying to keep himself calm. I didn't like how concerned the usually calm, cool, and collected redhead looked at the prospect of the fidgety doctor getting a little high-strung.

Still, there was nothing I could do until the flight was over and we reached SHIELD's headquarters. Stretching out on the cool, metallic floor as the helicopter set off once more, I dropped my head to my paws and snorted.

Two and a half years running from SHIELD and I willingly step into the helicopter, just to see what had Nick Fury's panties in a bunch. Way to go, Maeve. Way to go…

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When Bruce was certain that the tiger had fallen asleep, he glanced frantically at the agent that had come to collect him. And the Other Guy. Nostrils flaring, he peered quickly at the eight-foot-long beast in the back of the chopper, "What the hell is this? Some kind of circus? You have me, now a tiger? Is Fury starting a zoo?"

"Don't get yourself too worked up, doctor," Romanoff stated sharply, peering over her shoulder at the white and black feline taking a – for lack of a better term – catnap. She flinched at the pun. "I don't want this thing going down before we get to the base. And for your information, Director Fury isn't interested in zoos or circuses; Maeve is kind of one-of-a-kind, just like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He had meant to sound a little more irritated, but he couldn't stop the curiosity from leaking into his tone, "Why do you keep calling her Maeve?"

Romanoff dug through the black duffel bag at her side and retrieved a folder, handing it over to him as they reached America, "See for yourself. Director Fury's been trying to recruit her for years…"

Bruce cast both the redhead and the tiger a curious glance before flipping the folder open. In black, bold print at the very top was her name, Maeve Brady, but the image beneath it showed a young woman, not at all what he had been expecting. Twenty-seven years old, short, chestnut hair, sky blue eyes... Nothing like the Maeve currently stretched out on her side, the deep, mahogany mud marring her lovely white coat. Rubbing a hand along his jaw, Bruce exhaled slowly, exasperatedly.

Just how many freaks like him _were_ there in the world?

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

So! Whatcha think? Hope you all enjoyed; please let me know! I can't wait to get into this story, woowoo!

I vote Thor, myself… What about you guys?


	2. SS SHIELD

A/N: So, it looks like the leaders in the poll on my profile are Thor and Tony so far! Hey, I like those options hehe… Vote please to see if your favorite is the winner!

Anywho, I don't own _the Avengers, _but I plan on going to see it again this weekend. Huzzah! Such a good movie…

Chapter One: S.S. SHIELD

_Rubbing a hand along his jaw, Bruce exhaled slowly, exasperatedly. _

_Just how many freaks like him were there in the world?_

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

A sharp, metallic _thunk_ hit the ground beside me, but I ignored it, instead stretching my arms and legs out and huffing. A few more pings sounded beside my head, until one made contact and sending me flying upward, startled.

Dr. Banner had a duffel bag between the two of us, worry etched in his deep, chocolate eyes, while Romanoff sat, her knees on the seat, peering over the back of her chair. She had a few pennies in her hand, another poised between her fingers as she readied herself to throw it.

Growling low under my breath, I shook my head and sat up. The helicopter shifted slightly at my movement – I weighed more than the good doctor and the secret agent combined in this form – and Dr. Banner immediately clutched at his duffel, frowning anxiously, "Please, please… could you _not_ do that…"

Nodding, I sat back on my haunches and shot Natasha as harsh a glare as I could in my tiger form. It worked, obviously, because she raised her hands in surrender, "I wasn't gonna come up to you and try to wake you up, Maeve."

Well, I could understand _that_. Licking my lips, I fought the urge to pad over to the window and peer out into the darkness; were we getting close to SHIELD's headquarters?

"I wish you brought something to change into," Romanoff rolled her eyes, "you need to read these files before the others show up."

Snorting, I shifted my gaze from her to Dr. Banner, a silent question, _Who else is there?_

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Romanoff grumbled under her breath, "Reading to cats was _not_ in my job description… Okay, we've got Dr. Banner, Agent Coulson is on his way to pick up Steve Rogers…"

_Captain America?_ I mused, my bright, ocean eyes widening at the thought, _I heard they found him, but damn… I get to meet him! Bet Coulson's pissing himself right now…_

If there was one thing I knew about Phil Coulson, it was that he had a serious man-crush on the world's first superhero. Cursing myself for not being there when he first saw the tall, blond, all-American boy, I huffed once more; they surely weren't the only ones…

"…and Tony Stark, if he'll come along," Romanoff rolled her eyes once more, flipping through the folders, "there's always a possibility of Thor joining us, but the subject isn't exactly someone he could care less about."

Glancing at Dr. Banner, I found myself wishing I _was_ in my human form; I had one too many questions for the two of them. Who was the subject? What, exactly, was going on that they needed a bunch of superheroes and superfreaks for?

"There's something called, called the Tesseract," Dr. Banner announced, removing his glasses and wiping the lenses with the corner of his shirt, glancing nervously at Natasha before returning his gaze to me, "apparently someone stole it; Loki…"

_The brother of Thor, at least according to mythology_, I wondered, my whiskers twitching in thought, _well, even if one of my brothers did something so stupid, I probably wouldn't want to fight against him, either… Tesseract… What does that do?_

The helicopter jolted suddenly, my form heavy enough to keep from launching into the air, but still, I dug my claws into the metal instinctively. Banner stiffened and Romanoff simply unbuckled her straps – when she had buckled herself in, I couldn't imagine – and stood.

Apparently, we landed.

Stretching my arms out before me, I extended my claws and let out a loud, growling yawn; padding toward the door, I smirked to myself as Dr. Banner gave me a rather wide berth, nearly pressing himself against the helicopter's wall in an effort to avoid me.

Hopping out onto the aircraft carrier, it seemed, I peered around at the hustle and bustle; even though it was nearly midnight, agents were everywhere, either working on their jets or milling around (trying to look busy). I didn't see Fury anywhere, but I assumed he had to be around somewhere.

Wasn't their headquarters on a secret base, though? Last I knew, they were out in the desert somewhere, with massive laboratories underground. Something must have happened to it, then, if the whole agency seemed to be on one gigantic ship.

Suddenly, stalking out from the darkness was Director Nick Fury, the mastermind behind this whole big thing. The eye patch was still there – even in my tigress form, I couldn't help but stare at it. Why were there black thread-like marks stretching out across his skin from beneath that patch? Did he actually have an eye under there, one that was all deformed, or was it simply an empty socket?

Some sick part of me was dying to know…

Dressed in all black, down to his snazzy leather boots, he looked like a force to be reckoned with; I knew from experience that that appearance held true. Arms folded behind his back, he looked between Natasha, Dr. Banner, and I, nodding to himself, "Agent Romanoff, you did well."

She saluted him, thanking him emotionlessly, before querying casually, "Any word on Barton?"

"Nothing yet," Fury relied, a frown tugging at his mouth, running a hand over his incredibly shiny head.

_Wax much?_

Romanoff deflated only slightly, before she queried, "Are we finished here, Director?"

_Wait, wait, wait, what happened to Barton?_ I wondered, my brow furrowing as I looked between the two; Romanoff seemed worried, afraid even, at the news that there was no news on Barton; Fury just looked pissed. Not that it wasn't a usual look for the SHIELD agent, but still… What had happened to Clint? Did it have anything to do with the Tesseract? This Loki character?

_Damn, I need to read those files…_, I huffed, whiskers flicking in annoyance.

"Dr. Banner, it's good to see you," he offered the seemingly shy doctor a hand, one that he very reluctantly accepted.

"Can't say the same," he muttered under his breath, glancing quickly at me as I huffed in amusement.

"Miss Brady, why haven't you changed into your normal form?" Fury queried, either having not heard the good doctor's comment or simply ignoring it.

Peering up at the man beside me, pleading with my wide, round eyes; adjusting his collar awkwardly, Banner offered Fury a sheepish smile, "Um, well, I think that she's, she's kind of like me, when I, uh… You know…"

"Oh," Fury noted; whoa, I'd never seen him _uncomfortable_ before. If I had the balls, I would seriously tease him about that.

_Oh, hell, if Tony Stark is on this boat, I'll be mentioning _this, I grinned, my ears twitching with every little noise, _he'll never let Fury live that one down. _And I freaking _loved_ seeing Nick Fury squirm.

"We've got rooms for you both," Fury announced, clearing his throat and leading us across the massive deck, toward the main body of the vessel. Pressing his thumb against a keypad, Fury waited for the door to open, glancing casually over his shoulder – with his bad eye; what was up with that? "And a lab for you, doctor. We'll have to show you in the morning; it's not quite ready for you yet, but it's got all the perks."

And what did I get? Catnip?

Making our way through a labyrinth of hallways, Fury fell silent and none of us felt like filling that awkward tenseness with noise. Though, I did have to repress the urge to let out a roar, just to see what they would do…

We stopped before a door, the number 38 bolted just above the peephole. Fury waved an arm toward it, glancing down at me and commenting, "This one's yours, Miss Brady. As soon as you've… freshened up…," I glanced down at my mud-covered paws and lifted a brow; he had a point, "you can find the kitchen and grab something to eat. Word has it you've been on the run in Mongolia for a while. When's the last time you _weren't_ in this form?"

Chuffing, I shrugged a shoulder and nudged the door with my muzzle. Dr. Banner was nice enough to open it for me, offering me a slight grin as I gave him an open-mouthed smile, my sharp canines bared. He shifted nervously, before shutting the door behind me with a soft _click_.

Now out of sight of the others, I searched the darkness for the light switch. Thanking the Lord for my excellent eyesight, I crossed the room and trotted into the bathroom. Stretching up against the wall, I flicked the light on with my nose and squinted against the blinding light.

Believe it or not, it was a pretty nice bathroom. Glass-doored shower, fluffy towels hanging from the rack hanging over the toilet, a wide, spotless mirror over the sink… Peering into the main room, I eyed the setup; freaking awesome.

A four-poster bed, the sheets a dark color, though, in the poor lighting, I couldn't quite tell what shade it was. A desk in the corner. Two dark dressers. A floor-length mirror beside what looked like a pretty big closet.

_Not too shabby, SHIELD_, I mused, shifting back into my human form for the first time in a few weeks. It was always a strange sensation, morphing from form to form; always a sharp, uncomfortable stinging beneath my skin as my bones shifted and moved. When I did it daily, the pain was always much less; almost tolerable, actually. But after so long…

Cursing under my breath, I stood to full height – rather unimpressive at five feet – and hopped into the shower. I didn't bother looking in the mirror; it was probably a horrifying sight to see, worse than a zombie, most likely.

As the water hit me in a warm, steady spray, I let out a sigh of relief; being human had its perks…

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Sitting on my bed, wrapped in a silk, lilac robe, I ran a hand through my wet hair and moved onto the next file. My bangs fluttered into my eyes, the longest part of my hair, but a quick swipe pushed them back.

_**Anthony Stark. Iron Man. **_

If there was any picture I didn't need to see, it was his. Handsome, cocky, the works; I'd seen his strangely-goateed face on the cover of dozens of magazines and in the midst of press conference after press conference. No need to study his file.

_**Bruce Banner. The Hulk**_**.**

Hulk?

"Oh _shit!_" _That_ guy was the Hulk? That sweet, shy doctor had been hit with so much gamma radiation that, at the drop of a hat, he could be consumed by rage and shift into a massive, green, well, _hulk_ of a man? "And he's afraid of me?"

_**Steve Rogers. Captain America**_**.**

Having been a history major in college, I was certainly familiar with the captain. Not to mention, every generation from his to my own was giddy over the idea of such a strong, powerful American icon. He was every girl's dream, from my great-grandmother's generation to mine; it was obvious from his picture why. I skipped his file, though, too, aside from the information that SHIELD withheld from the history books. There wasn't much.

I didn't bother reading over Natasha's – there was nothing about her past that I hadn't already learned; SHIELD had tried recruiting me multiple times before and I'd already seen her file.

There was nothing on Clint – which had me nervous – and Thor, which was just strange. If there was a possibility of him helping us, why didn't I know anything about him? Maybe Fury hadn't been able to contact him – I didn't really see how he could, since apparently he was from a different planet; I'd just have to ask the director later.

The file on the Tesseract was incredibly interesting. I didn't understand half of it, but it certainly was interesting. After twenty minutes, I gave up, tossing the file onto the nightstand by the bed and hopped to my feet. My stomach was noisy as hell and maybe I could find Dr. Banner on the way. Ask him exactly what the file meant.

I wasn't big on science-y stuff.

Give me a good novel or a tome on the American Civil War and I was peachy keen. But gamma radiation? Energy… stuff? Eh… The only science I liked had to do with oceans, geology, astronomy… that kind of thing. Chemistry and physics? Bleh…

The corridors were busier than I had expected, but still, I only ran into a few people. They directed me toward the kitchen, some eyeing me curiously as I strolled through the halls in gray yoga pants, a wife beater, and a ridiculously fancy robe. Bare feet? Yes, please.

Yawning slightly, I entered the kitchen, where I was lucky enough to run into the good doctor. While his other side made me slightly nervous, I was put at ease by the fact that _my_ other side did the same to him, "Evenin', doc."

He started in his seat at the island in the center of the room, dropping his spoon into the carton of cookie dough ice cream. His dark eyes surveyed my face, recognition flashing in them, and he straightened, "Miss Brady?"

"Call me Maeve," I replied, waving a hand dismissively, crossing the kitchen and diving into the freezer, "anythin' else in here? Seein' as ya tainted th' cookie dough with yer spit…"

"You wouldn't turn into, ya know, the Other Guy from my spit," Banner replied, offering a slight, humorless laugh as he lowered his gaze, scooping up another spoonful.

"It's not that I'm worried about," I noted, withdrawing some chocolate chip ice cream with a triumphant 'ha!', "I'm worried 'bout yer spit. Spit is spit an' I'm not too fond o' double dippers."

"You're Irish?" he questioned curiously, grinning slightly at my lilt.

"Didn't ya read the file?" I questioned; there had been one on me, of course, but I hadn't bothered looking over it. I didn't care what they had on me.

"Well, yeah, but it didn't say anything about where you were from," he replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, "sorry if I… freaked you out by… freaking out. I don't usually come that close to… tigers."

Shrugging a shoulder, I sat across from him, happily munching on my own ice cream. I fought the urge to moan; when was the last time I'd actually had my favorite anytime desert? "That's alright; I'm used to it. No harm, no foul, aye?"

He nodded silently, tapping his fingers absently on the counter. After a moment, he queried curiously, "What do you think of the Tesseract?"

"Uh, about that, doc," I grinned sheepishly, "layman's terms, please?"

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So, no Thor yet (sigh), or the rest of them. Just Bruce and Natasha so far – and Fury. I like Banner. I like writing him quite a bit =D I'm very excited for Tony to come around, though; he's my favorite Avenger, even though I adore Thor. Hehe!

So what'd everyone think? I'm not too thrilled with it, but nothing's really happening yet. Just further introductions to Maeve… But it'll get way better shortly, I promise!

Iforgiveyou: I know, it really is! I'm glad you like her! I had to make her Irish; I just love writing that accent and I thought it'd throw a nice little flair in the group, too. Yeah, he is fun! I'm excited to write him, too. That's a good idea; there's definitely gonna be flirting with Tony, but you're right – he does work so well with Pepper. So it'll be harmless flirting I think. And then Steve would be a fun one to have her flirt with too. Innocent friendship; I like that idea. So Thor or Clint, hmm… I think I know which I'm going with =D

LiliAnn Jackson: Yes! I love Tony too, but you're right. Not enough Thor going around! He's probably the least written about and I find him the yummiest hehe.

XxKeeperOfDeathxX: Thank you! Thanks for your vote!

Bambi Nyla-Rose: Hmm, that is a good point! The only thing I was thinking was that he's so used to all kinds of crazy stuff that it might not be too big of a surprise. But it is a good point you bring up; I'll have to think about it! Out of curiosity, who's your choice?

Mercenarybunny: Thank ya! I'm glad you're liking it so far =D


	3. Captain, My Captain And Phil

So, if this wasn't a Thor/OC, I could certainly see it being a Bruce/OC. At first I was like, whoa, what's with all the Banner stories… and the more I read, the more I love his character. I think he'll get along great with Maeve; two beasts in innocent-looking wrappers lol. But I still think the second choice would be Tony… I dunno, too hard to choose!

Anywho, I've had questions about Maeve's powers; there's a brief mentioning of it. Trust me, when Tony pops up, everything will be crystal clear lol; he's not one to keep his comments to himself.

Disclaimer: I own no part of _the Avengers_. Boo!

Chapter Two: Captain, My Captain… And Phil…

_Shrugging a shoulder, I sat across from him, happily munching on my own ice cream. I fought the urge to moan; when was the last time I'd actually had my favorite anytime desert? "That's alright; I'm used to it. No harm, no foul, aye?"_

_He nodded silently, tapping his fingers absently on the counter. After a moment, he queried curiously, "What do you think of the Tesseract?"_

_"Uh, about that, doc," I grinned sheepishly, "layman's terms, please?"_

Well, Dr. Banner – or Bruce, as he asked me to call him – certainly was a wealth of information; the amazing thing was he was down-to-earth enough to explain everything in a way I would understand. Thankfully, my head _wasn't_ spinning and I was able to grasp exactly what the Tesseract was all about. Basically, it was the most powerful form of energy he'd ever heard of. And if he, a scientific genius, thought that was so, it had to be impressive.

Apparently this Loki character had appeared out of the cube and right into the path of Fury and dozens of others. More than a few had been killed, while Clint Barton and Erik Selvig, one of the scientists working on it, had been taken captive in a weird, mind-controlling way. More than a little unnerved at the fact that _Barton_, as keen as he was, had been taken hostage by a crazy-ass mo-fo, I finished my ice cream and threw out the carton.

"So Fury wants us ta find the Tesseract an' then handle this psycho demigod?" I queried, leaning against the counter and fisting my palms against the smooth steel, "just ta clarify…"

"As far as I know, yeah," Bruce offered me a half-grin, making for the door, "that agent, Romanoff, told me I'd just be here to find the Tesseract, though. And that's all I plan on doing. They have no idea what it's like, becoming him…"

He looked away, arm outstretched as he held the door open for me; the sorrow and guilt of something he couldn't control ate at him day in and day out it seemed. It certainly wasn't surprising; to turn into a beast was one thing, but to turn into a beast you had little power over… that was entirely different…

Patting his shoulder sympathetically as I passed through the door, I quirked a brow, "No, they don't, do they? An' I don't either; it's not quite so dangerous when I turn inta what I do, but I _do_ have some idea what it's like ta have somethin' else insida ya that wants ta be let out…"

Lowering his head, I thought I saw the ghost of a smile flash across his face, before he nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll see you in the morning then, I guess…"

Giving him a thumbs-up – and hopefully offering him a little bit of comfort, I turned on a heel and trotted tiredly back to my room. It was nearly midnight and I doubted that the others would arrive that night. And, honestly, at this point, I could care less about meeting them; sleep was calling me and the prospect of an actual bed had me nearly wetting myself in excitement.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

The door shut with a snap behind me as I stepped out into the cool, metal hallway; a slight grin tugged on my lips at the thought of the alarm clock Fury had installed in my room – he must have hated me – laying in hundreds of tiny pieces against the wall.

If there was one thing in this world I hated more than psychotic, power-hungry gods, it was alarm clocks.

Raking a hand through my thick hair, inadvertently spiking it, I found my way through the massive, metallic underbelly of the ship to the deck. Even in my human form, my senses were enhanced and I easily sought the scent of the sea and the warm, fresh air. Always follow your nose – Gandalf knew what he was talking about.

The deck was full, give or take a few fighter jets, and bustling with activity. The sun was rising steadily through the sky, warm and refreshing, the rays catching the water and creating a lovely, sparkling portrait. I had more important things to deal with, though. Like the fact that Bruce was talking to someone very tall and very Captain-America-like.

Strolling toward the duo – trio if you threw Romanoff in there, I put on my best Southern drawl and called out, "Mornin', all!"

The three turned, a smile gracing Bruce's face and the slightest of smirks on Romanoff's – she wasn't much of a smiler. There was a polite, interested expression on Rogers' face, though I had the feeling he'd be more than chivalrous once we were actually introduced.

"Mornin', Maeve," Bruce called, his hands shoved loosely in his pockets.

"Maeve Brady?" the captain questioned, his brow furrowed upward, his tone commanding, yet nice enough. At my nod, he offered me a hand, grinning slightly, "Nice to meet you, ma'am. Steve Rogers."

"Nice ta meet you, too, Steve," I replied, giving his hand an enthusiastic shake – mimicking what I'd assumed Coulson had done upon first introductions, "did Agent Coulson kiss ya, then?"

His polite expression immediately turned puzzled, though our other two comrades seemed more than amused, "Excuse me?"

"Agent _Coulson_," I repeated, as though _that's_ what was wrong with that statement, "did he kiss ya? I know he's a big fan o' yours; I assume he got a little overly enthusiastic… Or maybe fainted. Either way, I'm sorry I missed it…"

"No, no, nothing like that," he chuckled, his hands finding their way into the pockets of his leather jacket. It was the only thing about him that didn't look outdated. "Just asked me to sign some cards..."

"He's very proud of those," Romanoff noted, amusement lacing her normally monotonous tone.

"Aye, they're like his little babies," I added solemnly, "make sure ya do that, ya hear me? I'd hate ta see th' poor man heartbroken an' he most certainly will be if ya don't. Wouldn't wanna have ta hurt ya, Captain." I don't think the cheery tone and the wink was the reason he didn't find the threat all that intimidating, but, eh, I figured he'd find out eventually, so I let it slide.

Natasha and I exchanged amused glances, brows high on our foreheads; Fury hadn't just wanted to recruit me because I happened to have a genetic mutation allowing me to shift forms…

"I will, I will," Steve replied, waving off my feigned concern and my obviously serious threat with a genuine smile, one that really was breathtaking. Eat that, Gramma; he's smiling at me… "Who else is on their way?"

"Tony Stark, maybe," Romanoff noted, arms folded across her chest, "Agent Coulson was supposed to meet with him; I'm surprised he's not with you."

"Ya know Stark as well as I… well, I've _heard_ enough about him – ta know that he does his own thing," I stated, waving a dismissive hand as Steve's brow furrowed upward. He looked a bit like a lost puppy – it was cute. "I mean, who _reveals_ their secret identity at a _press conference_? Bloody brilliant if y'ask me…"

Romanoff was rolling her eyes – obviously she didn't think it was quite so brilliant, while Bruce and Steve just exchanged curious glances. Well, Bruce _had_ said that he'd been off the grid for a while – I'd have to see if I could find it on Youtube. And Steve… the poor fella had been off the grid for _way_ longer than that. Did he even _know_ what the internet was?

"I take it he's related to Howard Stark?" Steve queried suddenly, arms folded across his massive chest. Jeez, even in his leather jacket you could tell he was ripped. Poor Brucey; he must feel mildly left out. Except he could turn into a mass of rippling green muscles at any moment... And I wasn't really part of that super-buff category either…

_Now _I'm_ feelin' mildly left out_, I pouted, clicking my tongue and noting, "Aye, I think that was his da…" I didn't have the heart to tell him _everyone _knew that Howard Stark was Tony Stark's father…

"Sounds like something he would've done," Steve muttered, rubbing his jaw absently, a faraway glint in his deep, blue eyes. Lost in his thoughts, he was lost to us; I decided to turn and talk to the good doctor instead.

Before I could even utter a word, the whole, enormous vessel began to shake. Fighting the urge to dig my non-existent claws into the deck just to make certain I didn't topple overboard – I wasn't exactly close to the edge, but one never could tell, right? – I offered Bruce a tense glance.

He shifted his nervous gaze from me to Natasha, who simply smirked and muttered, "You may want to step inside, folks. It's about to get hard to breathe…"

"Is this a submarine?" Steve queried, astonishment etched in his tone as he made his way closer to the edge. I assumed fascination was plastered across his clean-shaven face, but didn't want to put myself between him and the ship's edge. As Bruce moved forward, making a sarcastic remark about being trapped underwater, I strolled forward, toward the water, peering into the now churning sea. The rumbling grew louder, the vibrations nearly sending me to the ground – would Steve be too uncomfortable if I latched onto his arm? Purely so I didn't topple over, of course…

As Natasha made her way toward the door, I decided it'd be best to follow her; I didn't really want to be left outside if the whole thing went beneath the surface, now did I? Before I stepped inside, the ship lurched, slowly rising _out_ of the water and into the air.

_So it's a plane,_ I mused, beyond impressed, _don't think I'd land on my feet from _that_ high up…_

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"So is it true?"

The question startled me out of my drooling reverie – I had no idea what Bruce was talking about, what with spectro-somethings and calling labs to pinpoint the Tesseract's location – and I spun in my swivel chair to face the one and only Captain America. He looked less than enthused with the present conversation, as well, and crossed an ankle over his knee, silently waiting for my answer. His bright eyes held more than a little interest, his strong jaw clenching slightly as he peered over at Bruce speaking something akin to English.

I still wasn't convinced on that one… Sure, it _sounded_ like English, but I'd need more proof than that… and a few more recognizable words…

Steve's blond brow twitched upward, his lips puckered slightly as he awaited my response.

"Whatever it is, I assure you it is," I offered him a bright smile, fluttering my lashes coquettishly and earning a slight blush from the _older_ man. Though, eyes narrowing for a moment as I pondered my comment, I stated solemnly, "On second thought, if it's bad, then no, it's a bloody lie…"

Steve grinned, a slight, huffing laugh escaping him, before he reiterated, "Is it true that you can…"

"Oh, Captain, I _can_, but I'll not _do_ _that_," I teased, winking as the poor, innocent war vet blushed. Oh _God_, I think I was gonna have _quite_ the time messing with the good ol' captain; there was just something about a grown man, one so macho and masculine, getting shifty and uncomfortable over something so… so _innocent_ compared the risqué garbage out today, "_Oh!_ Didja mean turn into a tiger?"

Unable to form any kind of coherent response, he simply nodded, shifting awkwardly in his seat. Oh, yes, he was gonna be a _fun_ teammate…

"Aye," I leaned back, clasping my hands together and resting them on my stomach, offering him a self-satisfied smirk, "that I can do. An', judgin' by yer first question, I think I can guess what yer next one's gonna be; I _can_ do those neat little weather tricks, too…"

"The snow?" Steve questioned, light brows high on his forehead. Was that amazement I saw in those baby blues of his? Aw, I felt special now…

"An' th' ice, aye," I nodded, glancing at the table and shifting through the files; retrieving mine, I flipped it open and skimmed through it. The surprise in my tone was more than evident as I pursed my lips, mildly impressed, "How'd they get all that shit on me? Has Coulson been watchin' me that long?"

"I do what I have to, Miss Brady."

"Well, speak of th' devil an' he shall appear," I grinned, standing quickly and approaching the suited agent, "isn't that how th' sayin' goes?"

"I didn't think I was that bad," he noted, the dry amusement in his tone drawing a smile to my face. He peered past me, down to the good captain, a flash of childish excitement in his dark eyes, "Did you meet the captain yet?"

"I have," I nodded, nudging him in the side, "did he sign yer cards yet?"

The disappointment on his face clearly told me he hadn't; shaking my head, I playfully chided the all-American boy, "You'd better get on that, _mon capitan_… Remember what I said earlier, Captain… I meant what I said…"

"I do," the captain assured me, smiling that lovely smile once more, before glancing up at Coulson, "do you have them with you?"

"No, they're in my locker, but I'll be right back with them, I promise," he assured the veteran, patting my shoulder and offering me a soft, excited smile before dashing away. Well, was that a spring in his step I saw?

Giggling to myself, I sighed slightly; I had always liked Phil. At first I had been a bit surprised that they _hadn't_ sent him to find me; we got along well enough and, while he could be pushy, he knew when to back off. Then again, if he had the choice between me and captain America, his one and only hero, the choice was obvious. Folding my arms across my chest, I pouted, "I see he didn't ask me ta sign any cards or anythin'…"

"Did they make trading cards of you, ma'am?" Steve questioned curiously, resting his forearms on the table as he leaned in.

"It's Maeve, Captain," I chided good-naturedly, "an' no, they didn't. I mean, I could prob'ly draw some up an' try an' sell 'em, but I'm not as famous as you…"

His cheeks tinged pink, he lifted a shoulder, "I don't know why I'm so famous."

Aghast, I gaped up at him, slowly shaking my head and noting, "Cap, you need ta see th' history books. There isn't a kid in America, England, _anywhere_ that doesn't know who you are… I was thinkin' at least an autograph book or _somethin'_. I thought he liked me…"

"Miss Brady, it's good to see you looking like yourself again," Fury strode into view, his eye patch automatically drawing my attention once more. He rolled his remaining eye (or was it his good eye? I still didn't know if there was another one hidden beneath that thing…) and held out a thin, flashy tablet to me, "I heard you were wondering about our wildcard."

Quirking a brow, I wondered at his comment, glancing down at the featherweight tablet in my hands. There was a video, one that was paused, and on screen was a tall, broad mountain of a man with shoulder-length, reddish-blond hair and a beard a shade darker. He was dressed to the teeth in armor, a massive, blocky hammer in hand.

Thor.

Brows high on my forehead, I glanced up at the director, quirking a brow, "An' you heard that how? I distinctly recall bein' alone in my room at that point… In a towel…"

"We have ears in all of the guest rooms, Miss Brady," Fury replied, a slight smirk tugging at his bearded mouth, "we can't be too careful with who we have onboard…"

"Ears?" I queried pointedly, eyes narrowing, a slight flush rising to my cheeks. I didn't realize there was the possibility of peeping toms on SHIELD's aircraft. Maybe I would've donned a towel when I left the bathroom…

"Not eyes," Fury affirmed, jerking a finger toward the tablet, "watch. Now."

Tapping a finger to my forehead, I turned my attention to Thor's video. Tapping the play button, I watched, rather impressed, as the man, dressed in jeans and a plaid button up. He was striding toward a massive, metallic humanlike robot, while a group of people stood far off. The video had been taken from a rooftop, too far to catch any words, if any were said, and I could hear Phil muttering inaudibly in the background.

The robot thing attacked Thor, the hit making me flinch. Oh _God_… if he was a mortal, the hit would have killed him. Along the side of the screen, a rolling bar of memos seemed to be coming up. Comments were made, possibly by Fury, and it turned out that, at that point, Thor _was_ mortal.

So, as one of the figures came running up, I found myself wondering how he survived such an attack. The metallic being decided that Thor _had_ been killed and turned, heading off to return to wherever it had come from.

_Ah, thank you, memos,_ I noted; the destroyer thing had been sent by Loki, _pfft, that guy's got serious issues…_

The woman dove out of the way as, out of nowhere, the hammer I had seen Thor holding before flew into view, landing neatly in his outstretched hand. In an instant, he was surrounded, his armor clinging to his muscular build, his cape billowing behind him. The clash between Thor and the metallic being didn't last long; I wasn't surprised by the victor.

The scene shifted then, to where Thor stood with his companions and the girl from before. They shared a rather intense kiss, before he and his fellow Asgardians disappeared in a flash of light. Aside from the notes from SHIELD, I knew no more; Thor apparently returned to Asgard to fight Loki and, since we heard no more from him, I could only assume things had gone in Thor's favor.

I was surprised, though, that there was nothing more on Thor. He seemed to be with that woman, Jane Foster, according to SHIELD's notes, but if he had come back, wouldn't there be more information about him? Wouldn't he be with SHIELD?

Clicking my tongue, I pursed my lips. The less I knew about Thor, the more I found myself wanting to learn. The frozen shot of his handsome face – and it was quite the handsome face – stared up at me from the tablet; I found myself more curious than when I climbed on board.

Coughing slightly, I set the tablet down and slid it across the table toward Fury. He caught it easily and stuffed it in his oversized trench coat, leaning back in his chair, "So? What do you think?"

"If this Loki is anythin' like his brother, I can see why ya got yer panties in a bunch," I mused mildly, earning a frown from the director. Though, I could've sworn I heard a snort from somewhere in Bruce's and Natasha's direction.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

So, no Thor yet, unfortunately =( But Tony's coming around in the next chapter and hopefully Thor will, too. Next scene brings us Loki, too, so that's fun. I'm excited to get into the story; feels like we haven't done much yet, but I assure you it's coming pretty soon!

Iforgiveyou: haha thank ya! I'm glad you do; she's gonna be fun I think. Who would your second choice be lol?

Guest: Thanks!

Sephire Vanya Estelwen: Here ya go!

First Lady Lestat: Sorry it took so long!

SiriuslyAddictedtoReading: I'm glad you do! Haha, once you said that I was like, oh Southern would have been fun!

Doreandrix: Thank you! I tried; I wanted to get the rest of them in this one, but it didn't pan out that way unfortunately! But Tony and Loki are definitely in the next one, not too sure about Thor. =/ So glad you're liking it though! And no problem with the English, it was fine!

Techflow96: Haha yeah, she just goes with the flow. She reminds me of Tony in that way haha

ValueMyHeart: Thanks!

Laurafxox: Sorry about the confusion with her powers. I wasn't altogether sure what I wanted her to be able to do, but I have it figured out now haha. I think her demonstration will be when the guys have their fight in the forest. I see where you're coming from; I keep flip-flopping between Thor and Tony! She does seem like she'd go great with Tony. I'm still pondering haha… Yeah, her friendship with Banner is gonna be great! Thanks for reviewing!

Isabella95: Thank you! Yeah, she'll definitely be able to fight in human form. Plus she's got a few tricks up her sleeve with the weather, so that'll be fun. =) I know, I can't wait for him! You're right; I don't understand – he's so gorgeous and I love his character, but there really aren't any stories. I thought the same thing about their relationship; she just instantly was in love with him and they're making out at the end haha. There'll be more of a buildup with the two of them. She definitely will be close to Tony; they're gonna be a major pair of mischief makers lol… I'm glad you're liking it again!

ShayChis: Thanks! Glad you're liking it =)


	4. Germany

Ah, I love watching _Thor_ and _the Avengers. _Actually, all of those movies. So good! Sorry for the delay, work, life, and writing my own stuff. Oh, so you know I have my own book out on Amazon and Barnes and Noble; it's an ebook I self-published; if you like my writing, please check it out! It's inexpensive and would help a budding author! Check out my profile if you're interested :D

So, not too much of Thor, unfortunately, but more to come in the rest of the chappies! WOO! Please review, lemme know whatcha think!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or anything. Just Maeve! Woo!

Chapter Three: Germany

_Coughing slightly, I set the tablet down and slid it across the table toward Fury. He caught it easily and stuffed it in his oversized trench coat, leaning back in his chair, "So? What do you think?" _

"_If this Loki is anythin' like his brother, I can see why ya got yer panties in a bunch," I mused mildly, earning a frown from the director. Though, I could've sworn I heard a snort from somewhere in Bruce's and Natasha's direction. _

Fury offered me a dry smile, unamused but accepting; it was my way of accenting to his unspoken question. Would I help him and the rest of what I'd learned was the Avenger Initiative? And, if I understood his concern, the danger in allowing Loki to continue with whatever convoluted idea he'd concocted, then I agreed to give them all a hand. He leaned back in his seat, a somewhat smug smile on his face as he rested a palm on the table, "Good. I think it goes without saying that we appreciate the help…"

"Aye, but I still like ta hear it," I teased, offering Steve a flirtatious wink. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and cleared his throat, his lips pursed. Leaning back in my own chair, I kicked my feet up on the table, crossing my ankles and taking a moment to study the goings-on around me. The deck was abuzz with activity, agents flitting to and fro, while Hill and Coulson directed orders – probably directly from Fury – from a raised platform.

"So how long will it take 'til we know where he's at?" Steve queried, his tone firm, authoritative. One elbow resting on the table, he looked between Fury and I, shifting his gaze to Bruce even as he typed away at one of the computers Natasha had offered him.

"We're using the spectrometers around the world to locate him now," Bruce announced, spinning slightly in his rolly chair and quirking a brow, "I set up a quick system to scan faces, see if any matches come up close to the one Fu- the director got of him…"

"Took a minute for a photo-op?" I teased, wiggling my feet even as Fury turned his one-eyed scowl on me, "prob'ly not th' best time, eh?"

"We recovered some of the video feed from our… previous… headquarters; we managed to get a relatively good image of Loki before the place went down," Fury replied, scratching absently at his chin before rising quickly from his seat. He strode across the room to Bruce, who immediately tensed at his approach; obviously, he wasn't Nick Fury's biggest fan… "How's it going? Are we getting any closer?"

"We haven't seen any notable matches yet," Bruce admitted, rolling up his sleeves and subtly pushing his chair away from the secretive director, his dark eyes flitting to mine for a brief moment, "I'll let you know when we find something…"

Fury obviously wasn't pleased that we hadn't located him, but, seeing as he had little experience with gamma radiation and the good doctor had, he wasn't going to question him. Still, the idea of sitting around while Loki was off doing whatever it was the god of mischief deemed fun didn't sit well with him. It had me shifting in my seat as it was…

"Should we wait here, then?" I questioned awkwardly, fighting the urge to shrink under Fury's heated gaze; honestly, it was the eye patch. It was so goddamn intimidating… "Cuz I s'pose that's fine, but if ya don't want me ta burn th' place down, I need somethin' ta do…"

"Come give me a hand," Bruce called, a decidedly amused tone to his voice, waving me over with a grin, "better than twiddling your thumbs, right?"

"Aye, it certainly is," I replied with a laugh, "Captain, care ta join? Oh, that sounds rather dirty, doesn't it? You, me, an' Bruce? Not that I'd be opp…"

"I think I'm gonna hit the gym," Steve replied quickly, a furious blush coloring his cheeks as he nearly leapt to his feet. Avoiding my gaze, he turned to the director and queried demandingly, "You'll find me if anything comes up?"

Fury snapped a rather sarcastic salute to the captain, who tensed as I giggled and disappeared from the room.

Phil followed him, asking if he needed anyone to spot him. He returned moments later, a crestfallen frown on his face. Aw, ditched by his hero; I waved him toward us and asked if he'd like to join our merry crew of researchers. He pulled up a chair beside me even as Bruce chuckled and returned his attention to the monitor before him, tapping a few keys and wrinkling his nose. Whatever he'd done or read, he didn't bother sharing – I'd told him how anti-science I was the night before and, as much as it amused him, he accepted it – and cast an amused glance in my direction, "I think you drive him nuts with that, Maeve…"

"With what?" I feigned ignorance, my brow pinched upward and a frown painted across my mouth.

He rolled his eyes but played along, "The flirting… He's from the forties; women didn't say things like that…"

"That I know, Doc," I replied, clicking my tongue in mild irritation, "history _is_ my forte, ya know… It's just too much fun. He's a grown man, a soldier, an' I have him blushin' like a child… It's adorable."

"Yeah, well, remember that when you're dangling from a rooftop and he decides you embarrassed him one too many times to pull you back up," he snorted, frowning absently at the screen as another face came and went, not a single match to be had.

"You wound me, Bruce," I scoffed, pressing a hand to my chest and frowning, "what makes ya think I'm gonna be danglin' from a rooftop at any time durin' this whole pleasure cruise?" He shook his head at my word choice, but I nudged him, continuing with a scoff, "_And_ even if he did leave me hangin' there, are ya tellin' me _you_ wouldn't pull me up?"

"I won't be there," Bruce replied, though there was uncertainty, a lack of conviction in his tone that had me believing he would, before the end, join us out in the field. I simply grinned and eyed the screen, fingers crossed that Loki's image would pass through soon enough.

I hated waiting.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

After nearly an hour and a half – I had grabbed a sheet of paper and began doodling, in the end having enough sketches to start my own art exhibit – Steve returned to the room, looking delectably sweaty and masculine. Before I could comment on it, he dropped heavily into his seat, a faraway glint in his eyes that had me shutting my mouth. He looked rather lost and more than a little disheartened.

Patting Bruce's shoulder, I stood and made my way over to the table, plopping into my seat beside him, "What's on yer mind, Captain?"

"Too much," he replied simply, rubbing a hand along his face and sighing heavily. He remained silent, unwilling to continue, and, for once, I wouldn't push him. Instead, I patted his hand and began to tell him about my home back in Kerry, if only to distract him.

"An' one time, my brothers, all four of 'em, decided that they'd gang up on me an' push me in th' stream," I noted cheerily, a small smile on my face as he snorted, arms folded across his chest, "bein' th' youngest, an' th' only girl, they figured they wouldn't have a problem…"

"What'd you do?" he queried, a grin playing across his mouth.

Laughing, I dried my eyes and fondly recalled the moment, "I just shifted; no one knew I could do it at th' time. I shit you not, all four of 'em pissed themselves like th' little babies they were…"

Steve let out a loud laugh, deciding it was pointless to reprimand me; he certainly didn't like my rather potty-ish mouth, especially since I was a 'lovely young lady', but he hadn't been able to stop me yet. Guess he decided to stop trying…

"Sorry to be a party pooper," Bruce announced, pushing away from the desk and rising to his feet – it just amused me that he had said 'pooper', "but we're closing in on him…"

"You know liked my stories, Bruce," I laughed as Steve leaned forward in his seat, his eyes zeroing in on Bruce's monitor. It looked like somewhere over Europe, though people's images were flicking to and fro so quickly that I couldn't quite place where.

Fury appeared suddenly, offering Hill a sharp, pointed nod, and she disappeared off to do God knows what. Was it just me, or was there a little bit of sexual tension between the two? Shuddering at the thought, I stood and strolled over to the monitors myself.

"He's in Struttgart, Germany, sir," a lackey announced, shoving away from his computer to give the rest of us an excellent view, "sixty-five percent… Seventy-nine percent! This is him, Director Fury!"

"Excited little puppy, isn't he?" I leaned toward Bruce, muttering quietly in his ear and earning a light chuckle from the man-turned-monster. Still, I focused on the screen, staring at the frozen image of Loki as he stared off into the distance.

So this was our foe? He looked nothing like his brother, which made sense, seeing as he apparently _wasn't_ actually Thor's blood relative; his shoulder-length black hair was slicked back from his face, his eyes a bright, icy hue. His skin seemed incredibly pale and he had a semi-prominent nose. Well, aside from the eyes, he reminded me of a much cuter Professor Snape…

Fury turned to our merry band of superheroes – since when did I fit into that category? – and eyed Steve and I, "Captain. Miss Brady. Time for you to suit up."

Steve inhaled sharply, offering the director a terse nod; I simply clicked my tongue and rolled my shoulders. Sauntering toward the computer once more, I examined Loki's picture thoroughly, nudging Bruce as he reclaimed his seat, "Don't have too much fun here without me, Bruce."

"I'm sure I won't," he replied dryly, grinning up at me and, as he approached, Steve as well, "good luck. To both of you."

"Ta, Doc," I beamed, standing tall and ruffling his dark, curly hair despite the fact that he was a good fifteen years older than me. He growled under his breath but grinned, swatting me away with a pointed scowl, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Turning to the captain, who seemed equally amused, I blinked coquettishly, "Don't worry, Cap. I'll be sure ta get yer feathers good an' ruffled, too."

He sighed, pursing his rather nummy lips, and shook his head, "C'mon. Agent Romanoff's coming, too."

"Good," I nodded, teasing the broad soldier, "th' more girl power, th' better chance you have of survivin'…"

Bruce rolled his eyes, but Natasha offered me a thumbs-up as she strode into the room. As the redhead approached, I noticed a bundle of navy fabric in her hands; as she lifted it by the shoulders, I realized it was a suit, similar to the godawful tight one she and the other agents donned. A few minor alterations to it, I noticed that the sleeves and the pant legs had black and white stripes running up the backs of them.

"I hope that's fer Steve an' I ta show up matchin'," I noted, wrinkling my nose, "cuz that looks rather difficult ta get into…"

"No, this is gonna help you when you shift," she explained, shoving the uniform into my arms, ignoring my irritated protests, "it conforms to the body like a second skin. This way, you'll be able to turn back into your human form and still have this on. At least, that's what the man who developed it told me; they didn't have anyone to test it on…"

"Sweet," I cheered, turning ot the captain and sighing, "lemme go put this on an' we'll go…"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

It took about fifteen minutes to dress so, were there any casualties, I reminded myself to take full responsibility for it. Well, whoever designed it should, too…

The flight to Germany was quick, tense, as we formulated our plan. IT wasn't much, but once we were sure it was 85% full-proof, we shared a nod and waited for the plane to descend. We weren't landing directly over the museum he and his cohorts had broken into – didn't want to get Loki's attention just yet, did we? – so we'd have to hurry it up before he hurt anyone else.

Natasha informed us that she would take to the air again, her weaponry pointed on Loki once we reached him, so that left Cap and I to traverse the streets and face off with the Norse god ourselves. The captain gripped his shield and ran for the crowd forming just outside of the museum. They were on their knees and Loki, dressed in green and gold armor, with a massive, horned helmet, stood before them. Actually, he stood all around them.

I didn't _think_ my eyes were deceiving me, but I couldn't be sure. Not until Loki withdrew into himself, returning to the singular god and threatening an old man with his scepter. Ooh, I didn't like the looks of that, not when it glowed an eerie blue identical to the Tesseract.

"Look to your elders, people," Loki announced, shooting a dangerous blast toward the old German man. Suddenly, Cap jumped in front of him, shield raised, and deflected the blast easily. Letting out a sigh of relief, I hurried forward, my navy boot clicking on the ground as I ran. That was too close.

"Ya know," Cap stood, striding forward, "last time I was in German, there was a man ordering people to kneel. He and I didn't get along…"

"And his artwork sucked ass," I announced, drawing the god's attention to myself. He looked between us, an unnerving grin on his face, thoroughly unaffected by the allusion to Hitler. He probably didn't even know who he was…

"The man out of time," Loki inclined his head, "and the shape shifter. This is Earth's best defense?"

"We're not too bad at our jobs," I shrugged, "we can do this th' easy way or th' hard way. I suggest th' easy way…"

"I'm sure you do," he mocked, quirking a brow and pursing his lips.

Oh _hell_ no… did he just insult me? Letting out a snarl, I raised my arms, palms facing the sky, and called for clouds. As Steve lunged for him, more capable at the physical aspect of battling than I was, I quickly conjured up a storm. The wind kicked up, a chilling gust of air engulfing me, though I was hardly affected by it. Waving haphazardly at the crowd with one hand, I cried, "Get inside!" When no one moved, I sneered, growling, "Get yer bloody arses inside _now_!"

In the melee, someone heard me and began herding the crowd back into the museum. It was far safer than being in the midst of a violent blizzard and a fist-fight between a super soldier and a Norse god, that's for damn sure.

Suddenly, though, a scream sounded from the museum itself and I let out a frustrated growl. Peering over my shoulder, I caught sight of Clint Barton taking aim at one of the civilians; a few other cronies were doing their best to corral the group for God knows what. Probably to make them part of Loki's band of miscreants.

Making certain that the blizzard was still in full force around me – I sent a sweeping arm toward Loki, sending a burst of sharpened icicles toward the wannabe – I raced toward the building. Skipping through the now foot-deep snow, I easily made my way toward the innocent civilians. Leaping over a few of them as they cowered in fear, I managed to dropkick Barton before he could get off a single shot. Landing easily on my feet, I smirked as he hauled himself back up from the ground.

Scowling darkly at me, with startlingly blue eyes – I began referring to the shade as Tesseract-Blue – he dropped the bow to the ground and made to swing at me. Bending backwards, I narrowly avoided an incredibly powerful punch, tossing my hands behind me and effectively landing a backflip; I had made absolutely certain to get a good kick to his face in the process. He stumbled, but Loki's hold over his seemed impossibly strong. He never relented and I was forced to fight the agent; it wasn't something I wanted to do and I certainly never wanted Natasha to find out. They were like two peas in a pod…

Barton landed a hard punch to my jaw; I found myself stumbling backward toward the crowd. Someone was helpful enough to push me back toward the SHIELD agent, never once stopping to consider if I was _ready_ for another assault.

"Goddamnit," I cursed, ducking quickly as he tried to backhand me. From my position, my fist easily connected with his side, earning a pained grunt from the otherwise emotionless agent. Kicking him hard in the knee, I managed to get him down to the ground once more. The other mercenaries had disappeared; probably off to help Loki.

With Barton so distracted, though, the civilians managed to get back into the museum. Hopefully they locked the damned door this time…

"Loki, drop your weapon." Romanoff's voice caught me off guard, but it seemed to have no effect on Barton. _Yeah, Loki's hold is damned strong if he doesn't even notice Natasha…_ Dodging another swing, I let out a growl and just wished Loki would freakin' surrender already.

Just as Romanoff's arrival caught me off guard, so did the sound of ACDC's _Shoot to Thrill_ came bursting through the air. Over the roar of my storm, I heard the sound of a jet approaching; upon further inspection – while trying to avoid Clint's deathly punches – I noticed a flash of gold and red. Iron Man.

"I love that song," I muttered to no one in particular, kicking Clint in the stomach once more; it seemed to do him in, at least for the moment. Before I could consider attacking again, someone hit the back of my legs hard with something akin to a metal pipe. Dropping to my knees, I winced as I watched some former SHIELD agents drag Barton off to safety.

Turning, I managed to haul myself to my feet and stalk over to where the Iron Man had numerous weapons drawn, "Make your move, Reindeer Games."

Snorting, I watched as Loki's metal armor dissolved back into a snazzy looking suit, his hands raised in innocent surrender.

Point one – us.

"Good move," Iron Man noted, lowering his glowing palms and withdrawing his weaponry, "Captain."

"Mr. Stark," Captain America replied, his eyes narrowed as the wind and snow whipped at his face.

With a casual flick of my wrist, I ended my hailstorm, "Iron Man."

"Stripes," he replied, a cheesy grin probably dancing under that mask of his, "let's go."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

On board the jet, now on our way back to the headquarters with Loki in toe, I stood, dwarfed, between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. I was drowning in delicious, expensive cologne and, honestly, I wasn't too upset about it.

"I don't like this," Steve growled under his breath, his arms folded tightly across his broad chest.

"What? Th' fact that Snape, here, is grinnin' like th' Cheshire Cat?" I snorted, eyeing Loki warily as he smirked to himself, strapped down to the seat with locks and chains.

Tony chuckled, a handsome grin brightening his face, and nudged me, "I agree with Stripes, here… Rock of Ages gave up way too easily…"

"I have no idea what you two are talking about," Steve muttered, exasperated, running a hand through his thick blond hair.

The plane rocked suddenly, cutting off Tony's old guy remark, and causing Natasha to rather quickly push a bunch of buttons in the co-pilot's seat. While I didn't really like the idea of a sudden storm springing up on us either – unless, of course, I created it – it didn't have me as anxious as Loki seemed to be.

"Is this you, Maeve?" Natasha questioned, shooting me a curious glance. At my negative nod, she pursed her lips and fidgeted with the buttons again. She was still upset about Clint; I'd filled her in on what happened and she almost pitched a fit there…

"Scared of a little lightning?" Steve taunted suddenly, glancing amusedly at the Norse god as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," he admitted, staring anxiously at the ceiling as though something monstrous would burst through at any second.

There was a loud thud above us, rocking the jet, as a rumble of thunder crashed. I absently latched onto Tony's arm, staring, aghast, above me. "What th' bloody…"

"Oh, you do say bloody," Tony grinned childishly, almost smug as I clung to his armor, "that's bloody smash…"

Suddenly, the door was ripped away, the wind bursting in and whipping about my face almost painfully. Lightning burst and thunder crashed, silhouetting Thor in all his armored, muscular glory as he landed easily at the back of the plane. Striding forward, he grasped Loki by the lapels, yanking him to his feet and freeing him of his chains rather easily.

The wind whipped his long, blond hair about his face, and his cape at his back, but he seemed otherwise unaffected by it. His jaw set, his deep, sapphire eyes flashing, he looked dangerously beautiful, and Loki seemed more than terrified of being in his presence. He barely spared us a passing glance, too concerned at getting his brother out of our presence to even speak, it seemed.

Still, that man didn't need to say a word to be intimidatingly gorgeous. He was taller than me by at least a foot, though that didn't surprise me. He was far broader than me, obviously, but even Steve. And that guy was pretty ripped. If Thor's bulging biceps told me anything, it was that he could easily crush any one of us in a fight.

As if to prove my point, he took Iron Man down in two seconds flat.

Eyes wide, I found myself being yanked away from Tony, Steve pulling me to his chest, as Iron Man flew back through the plane. Thor's hammer had hit him hard in the chest, though it almost immediately returned to his hand, despite the fact that he wasn't even looking. Dragging Loki toward the door, he ignored me as I yelled out, "Thor! Don't!"

The two disappeared into the darkness, leaving the superheroes and I to gape and try to figure out what had happened. Tony flipped his mask over his face, stalking toward the open sky, informing us tersely that his only plan was to attack, before diving out of the plane.

Steve grumbled, donning a parachute and, as Natasha informed them that Thor and Loki were Norse gods, he shook his head, "There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." With that, he was gone.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my wild hair and turned to the redhead, "Boys can't handle 'emselves…"

"I'll circle around," Romanoff nodded, offering me a grin, "show 'em who's boss…"

Saluting, I raced for the opening, leaping and shifting in mid-air. The wind whipped through my fur, my heart in my throat. If I could've laughed, I certainly would have; exhilarated, I thought of Bruce. He had no idea what he was missing…

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So, brief intro to Thor! YAY! I can't wait for their first meeting; it's gonna be great =D Please review if you like it; reviews are like food, I need them. Lol. Lemme know what you think s'il vous plait!

Fantasy-Mania31: Thank you so much! Glad you think so!

The Fool Arcana: I hope this was better!

SiriuslyAddictedtoReading: Here ya go! Brief, but yummy…

Iforgiveyou: Ooh, I love Hawkeye too! And Bruce lol… She'll be great friends with him, that's for sure. Aw sorry haha! I hate when that happens! I love Phil too; he's gonna be a big part of this story haha

Techflow96: haha me too! XD Glad you liked it!

Ali: Yeah, they're gonna be great friends ha

Ivyslade: I'm so glad you like it! I love Irish accents, those and Scottish are my faves haha. I know, I thought it'd be funny; the idea of Bruce being afraid of her was too amusing to pass up… Thank ya!

Bambi Nyla-Rose: Thanks! I'm so glad you like it and sorry it took so long haha


	5. Thor

So, it irritates me that I can't find any women's Avenger shirts. I found one website. One. Isn't that ridiculous? But still, those ones were pretty cool and there were some Walking Dead ones, so I'm gonna have to buy quite a few lol…

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Maeve. People seem to like her, too! Yay!

Chapter Four: Thor

_Saluting, I raced for the opening, leaping and shifting in mid-air. The wind whipped through my fur, my heart in my throat. If I could've laughed, I certainly would have; exhilarated, I thought of Bruce. He had no idea what he was missing…_

As I neared the ground, I whipped up a sharp, frigid gust around me, an impossibly cold, icy tornado. The wind slapped violently at me and, were I less gifted, I would have found myself tumbling and twisting wildly in the air. As it was, I was able to control my descent, twisting through the air until all four paws were beneath me and the ground rapidly approaching.

Taking a deep breath, I allowed the tornado to dissipate and landed gently on my feet. Huffing triumphantly, I glanced around, examining the surrounding area. Straight ahead was a forest, dark and rustling, while a sharp, jagged rock formation rested to my direct left. Peering up toward the top, I caught sight of glinting metal, part of Loki's strange outfit.

A grunt echoed through the night, emitted from the deep darkness of the forest, followed by the sharp sound of metal on metal. One of Tony's lasers captured my attention and I found myself hoping that Thor was alright. I had seen what Iron Man's weaponry could do and, despite the fact that I had _seen_ the god of thunder come back to life, I couldn't help the clench in my stomach at the prospect of him enduring another encounter from that metal destroyer.

Still, Loki appeared to be unguarded, seeing as I caught no hint of Captain America in the general vicinity. Torn between putting an end to the childish fight in the woods – honestly, we were all on the same team, why battle each other when we could battle the one who really mattered? – and guarding our prisoner, I sighed and raced up the cliff's edge.

In the shadows, I shifted back into my human form, anxiously staring at my body on the off chance that the SHIELD inventor had been wrong about the uniform. Fighting the urge to pump a fist in the air and cheer, I strode out of the darkness, into the moonlight and into Loki's line of sight.

He didn't seem altogether surprised to see me; I assumed he had caught sight of my little trick on the descent and knew his chances of freedom were slim to none. He remained, perched on his rock, though his eyes remained solely on me, "The kitten has more tricks up her sleeve…"

Winking mockingly, I held out my hands, palms out, in what I hoped was a threatening stance, "Aye, an' I'll use 'em if I have to, Loki. Make one move an' I'll be sure ta show ya my entire arsenal…"

"I don't think I would mind that, _Stripes_," he replied, raising his own hands in surrender, offering me a pleasant enough smile. I didn't trust the crazy bastard as far as I could throw him; at my size, that'd be an incredibly difficult feat.

Snorting, I watched him, my eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. Sweeping a hand toward the rock beside him, he lifted his brows innocently. I could see how he was Asgard's god of mischief; if I didn't know any better, I'd assume he was as harmless as a two-day-old puppy.

As it was, I instinctively ducked away from him, ready for whatever blow he meant to send my way. He chuckled, lowering his head and lifting only his gaze, "I meant only to offer you a seat. There's an excellent show going on down there; how petty you _heroes_ are…"

Reluctantly, curiously, I followed his gaze, over my shoulder and through a break in the treetop. From this point, I could see Iron Man and Thor battling rather vigorously over who the prisoner belonged to. It was an intense battle, one that was more than distracting; Loki probably could've wandered off, enthralled with the fight as I was.

They seemed evenly matched, though I'm sure Tony was suffering, being mortal and all… His body slammed through a tree and I found myself wincing in pain. Thor certainly packed a deadly punch…

_Where th' hell is Steve?_ I wondered, peering through the air, as if I'd find him drifting down to the ground at any minute, _parachutes do slow ya down, don't they?_

Humming to myself, I watched, gaping, as Thor held his hammer high, channeling blinding lightning and shooting it directly at Stark. Whatever it did, though, didn't seem to have the desired effect; Iron Man's energy shots seemed more powerful than usual.

"Interesting, isn't it, kitten?" Loki's amused comment interrupted my thoughts, drawing my attention away from the fight. He had his arms folded across his chest, one ankle crossed over the other, with a slight smirk tugging at his mouth.

"Call me 'kitten' one more time an' see what happens, Laufeyson," I glowered, lips pursed and eyes narrowed.

Lowering his head, he raised his hand in mock surrender, "I'm trembling." Ignoring my derisive snort, he quirked a curious eyebrow, standing tall and approaching me, "Tell me, how do you expect to stop me when you're too busy destroying each other?"

Glancing over my shoulder as Steve finally joined in the fray, I glared heatedly at the god of mischief, "They're men. They'll get over it… Fight it out. Tomorrow they'll be right as rain, trust me. An' then we'll take yer ass ta th' cleaners…"

The disbelieving look on his face simply fueled my irritation, but he remained silent. He nodded to himself, a slight, smug grin tugging at his mouth. He didn't believe me.

Funny; neither did I.

Before I could respond, a deafening, metallic _clang_ echoed through the clearing; I ducked, covering my head, while Loki simply stood on the tips of his toes, peering into the clearing with interest. When I was certain a satellite wasn't going to drop on my head, I slowly, cautiously, rose to my feet, following Loki's gaze and gasping.

The three men were on the ground, flat on their backs, and all trees within a fifteen mile radius of the trio were shattered. For a moment, I feared that they – at least Tony and Steve – were dead, but eventually, they hauled themselves to their feet.

"What th' bloody hell…," I gaped, shaking my head and grabbing onto Loki's arm, "c'mon. Natasha'll be here any minute an' I'm not losin' you again…"

"I'm touched," the god noted, pressing a hand to his heart and bowing his head, allowing me to pull him toward the trio of heroes.

I regarded him warily, opting not to answer; why was he coming so willingly? I had thought that, maybe, I would have to drag him along, kicking and screaming even. No, there was no resistance in his steps as he kept pace with me, though that damned constant smirk lingered on his lips. I fought the urge to punch him in the face because of it…

We had been right before; he was coming along far too easily. I couldn't bring myself to trust him, my eyes darting toward him every second or so.

We had only just breached the forest's edge when Tony stumbled out of the darkness toward me. He had startled me, earning a chuckle from the Norse god beside me, and queried, "Got your claws in him, Stripes? Good, let's get going…"

He swayed to the left and I patted his glowing chest as he passed, "Easy, there, big guy… Got your ass handed to ya?"

He waved a dismissive hand, causing Steve to chuckle, and made his way toward the cliff. Watching him go, I could hear him muttering to Natasha, somehow linked into her jet's system through his suit.

"You okay, ma'am?" Steve queried, patting my shoulder and adjusting the shield on his arm. His deep, sky blue eyes were concerned as he ran them over me, glancing distrustfully toward Loki. "You're bleeding…"

"I'm alright," I replied, glancing at the final member of our group. Thor was striding forward, his hammer hanging to one side, his eyes glued on his brother. He looked a little worse for the wear, his jaw bruised slightly, but he still looked amazing.

"Brother…," he stated, his voice deep, his accent smooth and cultured. He came to a halt before us and latched onto his brother's arm, earning a wince from the darker of the two, "Come. We're going with them."

Loki made no comment, though I'm sure he had a few sarcastic ones up his sleeve, and allowed Thor to guide him after Tony and Steve. The blond god glanced down at me, pausing slightly before offering me a concerned glance, raising a hand to my face. I jerked back only slightly, perplexed, but he rested a thumb on the corner of my mouth, sending a stinging jolt through me, "He's not caused you any harm, has he, milady?"

"No," I replied, eyes narrowed at Loki as he rolled his eyes upward. Pressing a finger to my lip, i could feel the drying blood; it must have come from the fight with Clint, then... "Driven me mad, yes, but harmed; no…"

"Good," Thor nodded, a slight smile on his face. It lit up his face, his eyes sparkling in the darkness; I was glad for it, a blush rising to my face the longer he watched me.

Shifting awkwardly from foot to foot – and feeling mildly like Steve at the moment, I nodded toward the others, where Natasha was bringing the jet to the ground. Tony turned, raising a hand to his face and calling, "Time's a-wastin', people… Get a move on, I don't wanna be here all night…"

Thanking Tony for the interruption, I rubbed my hands together and headed toward them. Silently, Thor and Loki fell in step behind me, the former's grip firm to painful on the latter's arm. Was it strange that I found myself more than a little aware of Thor's presence at my back, the warmth of his body emanating and brushing against me?

Aye, it prob'ly was…

Hopping into the jet, I dropped myself gracelessly beside the row of parachutes. Natasha turned in her seat and queried, "I thought you were gonna handle 'em?"

Lifting a shoulder, I dropped my head against the wall and allowed my eyes to drift shut, "They took care of each other. I kept an eye on Loki, though I don't think he needed it…"

"Your trust in me is flattering, kitten," Loki smirked, scowling up at Thor as he shoved him into the seat he had previously been strapped to. With the buckles destroyed, Thor simply set his hammer on the god of mishief's lap; Loki grimaced but remained silent, shifting his gaze to me when I stood.

I could feel Thor's bright eyes follow me as I crossed the distance between us and dropped my face to his brother's. Snarling, I outstretched a hand, wrapping it around his neck. He sniffed in amusement, though he didn't seem altogether comfortable as I elongated my claws, digging them into his cool skin.

"What'd I tell you about calling me 'kitten'?" I hissed, lip curling in annoyance.

He simply grinned, running his eyes over my face, before exposing his teeth in a dangerous smile, "You could be of use to me, _Maeve_."

The plane shook as Thor stood, placing his massive hands on my shoulders and gently pulling me away from Loki. Before I could snap at him, he addressed his brother, his tone harsh, unyielding, "You will not touch her, Loki. When we return to Asgard, Father will give you the punishment you deserve…"

"_Father_," Loki hissed menacingly, mockingly, "_your_ father…"

"Yeah, yeah, someone has daddy issues," Tony rolled his eyes upward, one leg awkwardly settled over the other; that suit looked incredibly uncomfortable to relax in, "does anyone have a muzzle for this guy? Cuz I'm all for muzzling this guy…"

"I've got some socks we could stuff in his mouth," I mused with a grin, easing myself out of Thor's grasp and returning to my seat.

Tony beamed, shifting himself further along the bench, closer to me, "I like that idea. Betcha the capsicle has some nasty ones, don't ya, Cap?"

Steve flushed, offering Iron Man a harsh scowl, and returned his attention to Romanoff and the pilot, "How long 'til we get back to the helicarrier?"

"Not long," she replied, "we were just over the coast when Thor took the prisoner; my guess is fifteen, twenty minutes…"

He nodded, removing his mask and dropping, exhausted, on the bench across from me. The plane fell into an awkward silence, one that I couldn't fall asleep in. There was a building tension between us, Loki growing more and more restless as the heavy hammer cut off the circulation in his legs, and Steve, Tony, and Thor exchanging heated glares, annoyance from their fight lingering in the air.

Sighing to myself, I stretched my legs out in front of me, crossing my booted feet over top each other, and clasped my hands over my stomach. Tony nudged me in the side, dropping his face to my ear and muttering, "Need a pillow? I've been told I'm a pretty good pillow… Or a blanket, your choice…"

Laughing lowly under my breath, I slowly shook my head, "I don't think so, Stark. What would Pepper Potts say?"

"Ah, what Pep doesn't know won't hurt her, right?" he joked, resting his head on my shoulder, "you don't mind, do you? Anyone ever tell you you're a pretty good pillow yourself?"

"Once or twice," I teased, shrugging him off of me, "but I don't particularly like yer metal suit diggin' inta my arm, so you'll hafta find yerself another pillow…"

"Damn," Tony sighed, though he obliged and shifted away a bit. He folded his arms behind his head, the metallic clank probably as uncomfortable as it sounded, "I think you an' me'll get along, Stripes."

"You prefer 'Stripes' over 'kitten'?" Loki clicked his tongue; I cracked an eye and watched him smirk to himself, "or the man over me?"

"Both," I replied, rolling my eyes upward and settling back in my seat, "he hasn't tried to kill anyone so far… Puts him above you in my book…"

"For now," Loki replied; Thor sighed and leaned forward in his seat, "Keep silent, Loki. You'll only do yourself more harm if you continue."

"Socks!" Tony exclaimed, sitting forward and looking around the cabin, "are you honestly telling me there isn't a single pair of socks around here?"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Fury had called a meeting when we'd returned to the helicarrier, but I swore to myself that my first priority was to change out of my restricting catsuit. After another fifteen minutes of struggle, I finally freed myself of the fitted fabric and into something more comfortable. If Tony didn't have to wear his Iron Man suit the whole time, I sure as hell wasn't wearing my leather one.

There was a knock on the door and I found myself face to face with Phil Coulson. A small, amused smile played along his mouth as he gestured toward the hallway, "Coming?"

"Aw, Phil, sorry ta keep ya waitin'," I grinned, stepping out of my room and allowing the soft-spoken agent to lead the way, "did anyone ever tell ya how hard it was ta get outta one o' those suits? Lord, I dunno how Romanoff does it every day…"

"I told them you wouldn't like it," he stated, laughing and guiding me toward the command center, "it was the best thing we had… It worked, though, didn't it?"

"Oh it worked alright," I mused, relieved to be in a pair of loose-fitting jeans, a white wife beater, and a purple and blue flannel shirt, "doesn't mean I hafta like it…"

"Did you see Captain America fight?" he queried after a moment's silence, a childish grin on his face as he peered down at me, "how easily did he take down Loki?"

"Sorry, Phil, I didn't see any of it," I offered him an apologetic frown as his shoulders slumped and he sighed dejectedly, "I was kinda busy fightin' Barton at th' time. An' Loki distracted me when he went up against Thor an' Tony… I'm sure Natasha has some footage of it from th' plane…"

"True," he hummed, pushing the door open for me and waving a hand, "I'll see you after the meeting, Miss Brady. Mr. Stark ordered pizza; it'll be in the kitchen when you're finished."

"Ta, Phil," I patted his shoulder, stepping into command central and glancing around. It seemed like I wasn't the only one missing; Tony was probably already starting in on the food, Bruce was probably in the lab, and Steve probably hit the gym. Natasha had to have been reviewing the footage of my fight with Barton, trying to see any sign of the man that she was so familiar with. She'd be disappointed; I hadn't seen hide nor hair of him during our fight…

Thor was staring out into the darkness below us, a hand to his jaw and his gaze far away. Licking my lips, I made my way to the table and glanced down at one of the monitors. It was blank for now, but I had the feeling we would be watching Loki from here.

"Where is everyone?" I questioned, startling Thor out of his reverie. He turned, one arm folded across his chest, his hand clasped around the other, and ran his eyes silently over me, "Miss Brady."

"Call me Maeve," I replied, settling myself in one of the rolly chairs as he approached the table, "where are they?"

"I know not," he sighed, rubbing his bearded jaw with a hand, "they've taken Loki away; the director says they have a cage of some sort, one he won't be able to get out of."

"That's good," I replied awkwardly, glancing out into the sparkling, night sky, "you were planning on taking him back to Asgard?"

"Any punishment here on Midgard wouldn't be enough for Loki," Thor sighed heavily, glancing down at the blank monitor and fisting his hands on the table, "not according to my father."

"What did he do?" I questioned, curiosity getting the better of me, "I mean, aside from tryin' ta kill ya in New Mexico…"

"He found out that my father had taken him from Jotenheim as a baby," Thor replied, regret laced heavily in his tone, "that he is not the All-Father's son. He is a frost giant, a race that my father had opposed in the past… It was too much for him to bear; he allowed anger and madness to overtake him and took the throne from my father." He lowered his gaze to the floor, his tone dropping to no more than a whisper, "He blamed me…"

"It's not your fault, Thor," I noted, drawing invisible circles on the table, "Loki handled the situation… poorly…" Wincing at the brash understatement, I continued, glancing up at the handsome man before me, "It's his alone. Finding out you're adopted isn't reason enough ta go off th' deep end…"

"For him, it apparently was," he replied, settling himself into the chair beside me, the leather groaning beneath his weight, "though it was never like Loki to act so rashly… If I could only talk to him…"

"Do you think it would help?" I queried, brows high on my forehead; if Thor had some sway over his brother, I'm sure Fury would have allowed him to meet with his brother and talk him out of his plans, whatever they were.

It was Thor's turn to grimace, resting his chin on his hand and looking utterly forlorn. If it wasn't so serious, it'd be absolutely adorable… "No, I fear it would have the opposite effect. It's me that he's upset with; my presence would only disturb him more."

"So we'll just have to go at it th' normal way," I mused, earning a curious glance from the thunder god, "treat him like every other villain… I know it's not what ya'd like ta hear, but there's nothin' else ta do… If ya think there's somethin' strange about it, maybe there's a way fer us ta talk him down…"

"I do not like treating my brother as my enemy," Thor mused, sighing and standing quickly, approaching the window and staring out into the vast darkness, "do you think it's possible to reason with him?"

"Anythin's possible, Thor," I replied, turning as Bruce and Steve ambled into the room. They were quietly discussing the Tesseract, something they at least had in common. Bruce lifted his gaze and smiled at me, "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," I replied, brows high on my forehead, "why?"

"You've got some blood on your face," he replied, lifting a shoulder, "thought maybe it hurt. Want me to take a look at it?"

"Sure," I replied, tilting my head as he approached and gently prodded the corner of my lip. Nose wrinkling, I kept my comments to myself as he pulled out a packet of wet naps – no idea where he'd gotten them or why he carried them on his person – and allowed him to dab at the blood, "Heard you jumped out of a plane…"

"Aye, it was great," I laughed, "you shoulda been there… You'd've had a good time, my good doctor…"

"Sure," he rolled his eyes good-naturedly, tossing the napkin into the garbage and wiping his hands on his pants, "you'll be fine."

"I'm already fine," I teased, nodding in thanks as he stepped around the table and peered at the blank monitor.

Bruce laughed as Steve flushed, but lifted a shoulder, "Can't argue with that."

"Aw, Bruce, yer makin' me blush," I fanned my face, laughing and spinning away from the table. Thor looked away from the window and peered at the rest of us, a slight grin tugging at his face. It didn't reach his eyes, upset as he was by his brother being under lock and key, but he queried in that deep, smooth voice of his, "Is the doctor your lover, Maeve?"

Well, this time Bruce and I _did_ blush; Steve had the audacity to laugh at us as we adamantly avoided each other's gaze.

Blinking, I shook my head quickly, biting my tongue and replying hastily, "Uh, no, no we're not like that, are we, Doc?"

Bruce shook his head fervently, avoiding my gaze and fiddling with his sleeves, "No. Just… friends…"

Thor nodded, arms still folded across his chest, amusement and interest dancing through his lovely eyes. Steve clapped, pointing a finger at me, "Call that payback, Maeve…"

"Payback?" I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to fan my face and hoping my face returned to its normal pale color, "for what? I never tease Bruce…"

"Payback for me," Steve grinned broadly, triumphantly, folding his arms behind his head and laughing, "the look on your face…"

Thor leaned against the back of my chair, peering over my shoulder up at me, "I did not mean to embarrass you, Maeve… Forgive me?"

Well, with his brows perched innocently on his forehead, a soft smile tugging at his perfect mouth, how could I say no?

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Please review! Thanks to all who have so far; I really appreciate it! What do you think? I always see Loki as just being lost, misguided. Creepy (at least in the Avengers), but misguided nonetheless… What do you think? How do you like Thor so far? Lemme know!

SiriuslyAddictedtoReading: Yeah! I love him!

Cato-Lover28: Sorry it took a while; work is a bitch

Queen of sharks: Here ya go!

Guest: Thanks! I'm glad you like her and her powers; I was hoping it would be pretty cool! How'd you think her relationship with Thor is so far?

Techflow96: Haha not a problem! Glad you're liking it so much haha

ThoughtlessRAge: Yay glad you like it! I wanted her to be close with Bruce, even though their personalities are kind of different. Glad the people seem to be in character so far =D

Iforgiveyou: I adore Phil! He's so cute haha… I thought having Clint there would be nice; I mean, I assume they were there in the museum, too, so why not have him fight Maeve? Ah Thor; such a babe… Hope you like this chapter too!

Dhalmi93: Thanks so much!

Luneara Eclipse: Thank ya! I'm glad you're liking her; I hoped she would fit in with everyone =)


	6. Ultimate Power and Flying Monkeys

A/N: So, I'm back! This chapter's gonna have a bit of the script in it; I'm sure everyone's seen it already, but if not, SPOILER ALERT. Just thought I'd throw that out there haha… this will probably be the one with the most lines from the movie; I just love this part so much – it's one of my favorite Loki scenes. So if it annoys you, I'm sorry, but after this, there will be more original stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own _the Avengers_. If I did, I'd be a happy, happy girl…

Chapter Five: Ultimate Power and Flying Monkeys

_Thor leaned against the back of my chair, peering over my shoulder up at me, "I did not mean to embarrass you, Maeve… Forgive me?" _

_Well, with his brows perched innocently on his forehead, a soft smile tugging at his perfect mouth, how could I say no?_

Humming, I nodded, mildly dazed, before shifting my gaze to my fingers, staring raptly at the narrow digits. _Must. Not. Look. At. Bruce…_

The conversation shifted abruptly to Loki when Agent Hill approached the group. She was as stern-looking as ever, glancing between us with mild indifference. I would be a little surprised, though, coming across our group; it wasn't often I was found blushing, or that Steve was smirking a rather evil little smirk. Or the fact that Thor was still leaning over my chair, the tips of his soft, blond hair brushing against my shoulder…

I cleared my throat and tapped my fingers together, wishing a hole would appear in the floor and I could simply drop through (_scratch that; I don't wanna fall through th' air again. Once was enough fer me, thanks…_).

Hill rolled her eyes and gestured toward the monitors, noting in her rather monotonous tone, "Director Fury is about to interrogate the prisoner."

Thor stiffened behind me at his brother's label, but I raised a hand, patting his much larger one as it rested on the chair behind me. He withdrew his hand from mine, only to settle it overtop my own and give my fingers a sharp squeeze. Wincing, I could only assume he meant for it to be a gentle gesture; he seemed to be the type who honestly didn't know his own strength, especially amongst us mortals…

Phil entered the control center, approaching us and taking a seat beside me. When I turned to greet him, I realized his attention was on Thor, a small frown tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Dr. Foster has been moved to a safe location; we thought that she would be safer, based on her connection with you…"

Thor nodded, his brow furrowed upward, "How is she?"

"She's getting along well," Phil stated, offering him an apologetic smile, "Dr. Blake wasn't happy with her decision to relocate, but Dr. Foster realized its importance. She asked to see you, when this is all over…"

"That might not be the best decision," Thor noted, a decidedly melancholy hint to his tone; obviously the news of this Dr. Blake startled him.

It was my turn to squeeze his hand, wondering who they were talking about. Dr. Foster was obviously the woman that Thor had kissed in the footage; who was Dr. Blake? It sounded familiar, but it certainly wasn't anyone closely involved in the New Mexico incident. I'd have to do some digging; I didn't really want to bother Thor with something that seemed to make him uncomfortable…

Before Phil could continue on with the conversation, Hill snapped her fingers, "Director Fury is about to begin…"

Almost immediately, an image appeared on the monitors of Loki trapped in a blindingly light room, watching Director Fury from the other side of the glass, a slight smirk on his face. I didn't trust that look one bit, but figured I'd keep that tidbit to myself; I had already aligned myself to Thor's cause, it seemed, and would back him up if he needed it.

"In case you don't get it," Fury stated, his tone rather smug for someone who hadn't done any of the work, gesturing toward Loki, "ant," he then immediately motioned toward a massive, complicated control panel, "boot."

This didn't seem to bother Loki, though, seeing as he let out a loud, amused laugh and spread his arms wide, "It _is_ an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me…"

Fighting the urge to glance at Bruce, I swallowed thickly; I had no doubt that Loki was right. The cage – and it certainly was a monstrous cage – was meant for the Hulk. Did they plan on killing him if they had to? How did they plan on containing him in the first place? I highly doubted that either Bruce or the Hulk would let the SHIELD agents drag him along so easily.

"For something a lot stronger than you," Fury agreed, arms folded tightly across his chest as he glowered at the insolent god.

"Ah yes, the mindless beast," Loki smirked, his eyes drifting toward the camera; suppressing the urge to shudder, I felt as though his light, penetrating eyes filtered straight through me, "makes play he's still a man…"

My fists clenching in anger, I felt Bruce's gaze flit anxiously about the room. He landed on me for a moment, shifting uncomfortably; inhaling sharply, I clicked my tongue, "How's he know I pretend ta be a man?"

A soft, humorless swell of laughter rose around the table, disappearing as quickly as it came. Loki snorted in his cell and pinned the camera with a dangerous grin. Flinching, I narrowed my gaze, leaning closer to the monitor; could the smarmy bastard really see us? Did he hear what I'd just said?

Thor rested a hand on my shoulder as Loki winked, his maniacal grin widening; the god of thunder pulled me away, as though Loki would jump straight through the monitor and shove that crazy spear into my neck. At that point, I wouldn't have been surprised if he could do something like that.

Drawing my lips into my mouth, I peered up at Bruce, who offered me a soft, sad smile, his dark eyes gleaming with unspoken appreciation. Nodding mutely, I returned my attention to Loki and his crazy antics; well, that and the heavy, comforting weight of Thor's palm on my shoulder. He hadn't removed it and, while I wouldn't complain, I felt my face flush and my heart speed up.

"It _burns_ you to have come so close," Loki taunted the director, who, as of now, hadn't moved from his spot, his arms folded tightly across his chest and his legs spread wide, "to have the Tesseract. To have power – unlimited power – and for what? A warm light for all mankind to share?"

Thor's fingers curled around my skin and I could hear him shift from foot to foot as Loki lifted his gaze once more to the cameras. My brow furrowed in confusion; a warm light? _What's he gettin' at with that? Why is he lookin' at us? Why th' bloody hell are Thor's hands so warm?!_

Loki returned his attention to Fury, arms folded tightly across his chest, mimicking the director to a tee, "And to be reminded what real power is?"

Fury snorted, glancing, unimpressed, at the cage, "Well, let me know if _real power_ wants a magazine or something…"

With that, the monitor went dark and the room remained silent. My mind drifted back over to what Loki had said; what did he mean by the warm light thing? Why was Fury interested in the Tesseract to begin with? It was unlimited energy; didn't SHIELD deal with security? Dangerous aliens and freakish superheroes? Not energy, right?

"Weird," I muttered, drawing a leg up and resting my chin on my knee, "I'm a tad confused, lads, not gonna lie…"

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce mused, sarcasm lacing his normally polite, albeit dry tone, letting out a humorless chuckle as he leaned back in his seat.

Stretching a hand out across the table, I grabbed his own, "Don't mind him, love. Mischief is what he does; don't let him get ta you…"

Bruce pursed his lips, grimacing before withdrawing his hand. Running it over his face, he inhaled deeply and shook himself of his thoughts. Nodding once, I leaned back into my own seat; I hadn't realized that Thor had released me to comfort Bruce until his soft, warm fingers rested once more on the nape of my neck.

"Yeah, well, Loki's gonna drag this out," Steve mused, rubbing his hand thoughtfully along his jaw, "Thor, what's his play?"

Stepping away from me, Thor paced slowly beside the table, one hand to his face, the other clasped around his massive bicep. He explained his theory to the others, though I can't say I paid him much heed; Loki's presence on the ship had me disturbed beyond reason. I mean, of course he was dangerous, but if the cage he was kept in was meant for the Hulk, he should have been well-guarded. So why did I feel like he was just toying with all of us? Being mischievous was one thing, but he didn't have the upper hand; why was he acting like he did?

Steve's disbelieving comment on Loki's army from outer space brought me back to earth. The confusing must have shown plainly on my face, because Phil pushed a piece of paper in front of me, a slight smile on his face as he tapped it with a pen.

Glancing down at it, I read what he had written; _**Chitauri army in exchange for Tesseract. Pay attention!**_

Quirking an irritated brow at that last point, I patted Phil's arm in thanks and returned to the conversation at hand. Steve was scowling at the table, his jaw clenched, "I wanna know why Loki let us take him in… He's not leading any army from here…"

"We shouldn't focus on Loki," Bruce stated, shaking his curly head quickly, "that guy's brain's a bag full of cats. You can smell the crazy on him…"

Huffing, I pressed a hand to my chest, "Are you kiddin' me, Bruce? Cats? What've you got against cats?"

"Have care how you speak!" Thor growled suddenly, jabbing a threatening finger at the doctor across from him, "Loki may be beyond reason but he is of Asgard… And he is my brother…"

"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha noted, somewhat incredulous at the love Thor still had for his mad brother. I was still wondering when she'd made an appearance; I needed to stop zoning out.

Phil simply quirked a brow, obviously agreeing with my thought. Sticking my tongue out at the SHIELD agent, I fought a grin at Thor's response. It was hesitant, regretful even, but strong, "He's adopted."

"What we really need to focus on is the iridium," Bruce stated, folding his arms across his chest and looking between the rest of us as though we really had any idea what he was talking about, "why does he need it? It's not a common…"

"As a stabilizing agent," Tony announced, strolling into the room in a Black Sabbath shirt; ah, Iron Man. I got it... "It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD…" He turned to Phil, pointing at him and grinning, "How's the cellist?"

As he strolled past Thor, he patted the downtrodden god's arm, "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing…" He continued to wander through the room, pausing by my side to ruffle my hair, "You. I wanna see you turn into a cat… That's your thing, right?" I made to speak, but he raised a hand, "Not the weather thing. I hate snow, by the way; can you do anything else with that? Rain? Nah, I don't like that either… Cat?"

"Maybe when I'm not wearin' my favorite jeans, Tony," I noted, tugging at the tight fabric around my ankles, "I'd rather not ruin 'em…"

Pouting, he turned, shouting firmly, "Hoist the main sails! All hands on deck!" The crew turned, some glowering, some smirking, but he ignored them, jerking a finger toward the other side of the room, "That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."

The man in question was hunkered over his keyboard, but he certainly wasn't playing a game. Must've been used to people almost catching him; I'm sure he was just waiting for Tony to turn his back; I'd have to keep an eye out on him, then…

Arms folded across my chest, I watched Tony mock Fury, before continuing on with his conversation with the good doctor. After another round of what I swore _had_ to be English, though, for the life of me, I couldn't follow him, he grinned broadly, "Your work on the anti-electron collisions is unparalleled, and I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster…"

Thor seemed more than lost – he knew nothing of the rest of us, an unfair disadvantage – so I stood, wandering over to the contemplative god and nudged his arm. He didn't move a muscle, but glanced down at me with a soft smile.

"Did anyone give you a rundown on who we are?" I queried softly, leaning against the railing and staring at Tony and Bruce. The latter was grinning broadly, despite Tony's mildly offensive statement; I had the feeling the two of them would get along incredibly well. The thought had me smiling; Bruce needed someone like Tony to have his back. The two would complement each other very well.

Thor shook his head, mimicking my action and resting against the steel rail. It gave way beneath his weight and he had to catch my arm to keep me from tumbling backward into a row of computers. The shriek that escaped me had me blushing; the rest of the table had turned and Tony's smirk was a little more than amused. Thor hadn't released my arm, distracting me from my embarrassed lip-biting as he queried, "Are you alright, Lady Maeve?"

Nodding jerkily, I grabbed a rolly chair and sat before him, "Yeah, just… wasn't expectin' that… So we've got Steve over there; he's been frozen fer seventy years, fought in one o' th' biggest wars we've had on Earth an' was apparently given a major dose of somethin'. He used ta be scrawny, like me…"

Thor chuckled and nodded, glancing at Steve curiously, "That shield he carries is powerful. I would not like to be his enemy; he has the strength of an Asgardian…"

"I wouldn't know about that, but if he's strong enough ta survive bein' frozen fer seventy years, I trust yer judgment," I mused with a laugh, "Dr. Banner, Bruce, he's a genius from what I've heard. He had an accident a few years back; too much gamma radiation or somethin'. Whenever his pulse gets too high, his heartbeat, he turns inta what everyone calls th' Hulk. I've seen th' video; it's terrifyin', but he's a nice guy. He's afraid o' me, at least, when I'm in my other form…"

This had Thor chuckling; the idea of something enormous and powerful being afraid of someone as small as I was _was_ an amusing thought. Even in my tiger form, I doubted I would be able to take on the Hulk; he'd probably put a collar on me and make me his pet cat…

"Tony is th' Iron Man," I continued, watching as he leaned across Bruce and winked saucily at Natasha, who simply glared and folded her arms tightly across her chest, "he's kind of a jerk, at least, that's th' way he portrays himself. I dunno, I think he's funny. Natasha is a crazy good spy an' then you've got me…"

"And what is it that you do?" Thor questioned curiously, offering me a quick onceover. The action had me flushing, remembering the tight catsuit I had been in and how I probably looked rather dumpy in my more comfortable clothes.

"I can turn into a tiger," I replied loftily, rubbing the back of my neck and watching as Fury entered the room and stalked toward the table. Thor seemed rather confused, so I smirked and continued, "It's a big cat. Nine feet long, big claws an' teeth… I've always been able ta do it; don't know why. Guess it's just a gene in my body; no one else in my family can do it, far as I know…"

"And what did the Iron Man mean when he mentioned the… weather thing?" Thor questioned curiously, his eyes following me as I spun my chair to and fro. A soft, almost sheepish smile appeared on his face; he said thing, I found it funny…

"He meant that he saw me create a blizzard with my hands," I replied easily, lifting a shoulder and flushing as his eyes lit up, "I can make ice, snow; anythin' ta do with th' cold…"

"I also create weather," Thor grinned, his teeth a gleaming, pearly white, "though Loki is the one who conjures up ice…"

"He's a Frost Giant, right?" I questioned, glancing at the monitor once more, as though Loki would be glowering up at me through the camera. When he wasn't, I let out a soft sigh of relief and kicked my feet up on the table.

"Yes," Thor replied, his smile faltering, "he believes, because he is not my father's son by birth that he is not his son at all… He was born to Laufey, the ruler of Jotunheim, but my father and mother raised him as my brother. We were so close as children; but after he discovered his heritage… I wish to be that way again…"

"Maybe ya can, Thor," I replied, patting his arm and dragging my rolly chair to the table as Fury growled, "I wanna know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his own personal flying monkeys!"

"Monkeys?" Thor queried suddenly; peering up into his face, I had to mask a smile. He had an adorably perplexed look on his face; I wasn't even sure he knew what a monkey was, since the concept of a cat seemed foreign to him. "I do not understand…"

"I do!" Steve exclaimed, his finger high in the air. Leaning back in his seat, he continued sheepishly, "I, I understood that reference."

Tony rolled his eyes, arms tight across his chest, and shot me a disbelieving glance. Shrugging, I couldn't help the snort of amusement from escaping me, "I've always hated flyin' monkeys… Thor, I'll see if I can find it on Netflix an' then you'll understand…"

"Ooh, date night?" Tony queried loudly, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "how 'bout you ditch the bodybuilder and you and me have our own date night? I'll take you out on the town, we'll come back here and rendezvous in my room? Sounds like a plan to me; sound like a plan to you?"

"Unless you've forgotten," Fury snarled, shoulders tensed as he glowered at Tony, "we've got a little problem. Norse god? Unlimited power in the wrong hands? Why don't you and Dr. Banner just go to the lab and see what you can come up with?"

"I feel like we're being dismissed," Tony frowned, eyes narrowing to mere slits as he turned his attention to Bruce, who simply shook his head and laughed, "what about you? Dismissed? Feels like I'm back in fourth grade…"

Bruce grinned and gathered his folders, peering up at me, "Wanna come with us, Maeve?"

"Yeah, bring the ice princess with the sexy Irish accent," Tony smirked, running a hand through his hair, "I promise you'll have a good time, babe…"

"First of all, I don't like people callin' me babe," I laughed, offering him a smug smile as I remained motionless in my seat, "I don't like 'em callin' me 'kitten' either… Stripes is fine, I guess; so is Maeve. Second, if all ya want me for is my body, Mr. Stark," I held a hand to my chest, adopting a haughty tone before grinning mischievously, "I'm flattered… As it is, I think I've got better things ta do ten listen ta stuff I don't understand. No offense, Bruce…"

"None taken," Bruce snorted, making his way toward the exit, "see you 'round, then."

Waving at his retreating back, I quirked a brow at Tony, who remained motionless, despite the widening grin on his face, "Anythin' else?"

The billionaire turned to Thor, shooting him an exaggerated wink and commenting loudly, "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone… I'm a jealous man, Point Break…"

Rolling my eyes, I stood quickly and approached the handsome man before me. Narrowing my eyes, I poked his gleaming chest; he simply raised both brows and stared challengingly down at me. Looping my fingers through the hoops of his jeans, I tugged him to me; he seemed far more than amused, an almost triumphant smile on his face.

Offering him an alluring smile, I stood on the tips of my toes and leaned up to his ear. He leaned down, letting out a slight chuckle as I wrapped my arms around his neck, one hand snaking up and into his hair. Giving his ear a sharp pinch and tug, I laughed as he let out a whine too high-pitched for a man like him, "Watch yerself, Stark…"

With that, I turned to the table and grinned at the remaining Avengers. Steve was flushing, while Natasha and Thor smirked; Fury had disappeared, along with Hill. Shuddering, I wondered where they had disappeared to; did Fury feel the need to work off some of his frustration?

"So, seriously, who wants ta watch _th' Wizard of Oz_?" I questioned, fists on my hips. Natasha shook her head, standing and informing us that she needed to shoot something before she went and bashed Loki's face in. Steve was all for it, though, so I asked Phil for directions to the nearest room. Since Steve was headed with us, though, the agent decided to tag along; he hadn't seen the movie in years, apparently.

"Fer some reason," I informed Thor quietly as Phil tagged along with Steve, drilling him about his favorite movies (he claimed they were some of his favorites, too, though I highly doubted he'd even heard of half of them), "Steve is Phil's hero… Kinda scary, how much he knows about our dear Captain, but I love th' guy, so it's alright…"

"So you are involved with the agent," Thor surmised. How he got _that_ out of that statement… oh…

"No, Phil's just another friend," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck and retrieving the remote as we entered a large, open room. It was, by far, the most comfortable room in the aircraft, with a few sofas and a massive flat screen. Seemed like even the most amazing assassins, spies, and secret agents in the world needed to relax. "Sorry, when I say 'love', it's rare that I'll actually mean it like that… I love Phil ta death, but in a completely, non… sexual way…"

"And what you did with the man of iron?" Thor questioned, a slight grin on his face as he gestured toward the couch, waiting for me to sit before following my lead.

"He deserved that," I replied, quirking a challenging brow; when he laughed, I simply smirked and retrieved the remote. There were plenty of game consoles hooked up to the television, so I logged into my Netflix account and found the movie. Steve took one of the armchairs and Phil stretched out on a couch.

"It's strange; you Migardians use the word 'love' rather frivolously," the god of thunder mused, rubbing his bearded chin slowly, his eyes glancing from me to the television with obvious interest.

"Well, I love a lot o' things, I guess," I laughed, rubbing my nose awkwardly, "'feel strongly about' would prob'ly work better, but, aye, I guess we do use it frivolously…"

"You must actually love someone, yes?" Thor questioned, finally dragging his eyes away from the miracle that is modern technology to gauge my reaction.

Flushing, I shook my head, examining my nails awkwardly, "I mean, I love my family, but other than them, no, I can't say I do…"

Thor tilted his head to one side, regarding me curiously, before placing a finger beneath my chin, "I am sorry for that, Lady Maeve. I hope that soon changes for you…"

A thrill ran through me, branching from the warm finger against my skin, but a muffled chuckle captured my attention. Yanking my gaze from the god before me, I glanced quickly at Phil, who was ducking back behind the couch. Steve was regarding me, intense amusement on his handsome face, "Wanna start this thing, _Lady Maeve_?"

"You'll get th' same treatment as Stark if yer not careful," I glowered, burrowing into the couch and praying it swallowed me whole, "you've got payback comin' yer way, so be ready, Cap…"

He simply smirked and turned his attention to the screen as I hit play. My heart was in my throat, Thor's words echoing through my mind. He sounded so genuine, so concerned; it was touching to have someone other than a family member worried about me in such a way.

"So explain the concept of this _movie_ to me, Maeve," Thor stated, running a hand through his thick, fair hair. He watched me move about the room, hitting the lights and retrieving a few pillows as Steve and Phil quietly discussed Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

_Huh, guess Phil does know his stuff_, I mused, smiling and dropping back onto the couch. The light from the television lit up Thor's handsome face as he patiently awaited my explanation. Struck momentarily into silence by his sheer beauty, I shook myself and drew my legs up onto the couch, pulling a pillow to my chest.

Laughing, I simply shook my head and informed him, "You might just wanna watch. But this is a classic, trust me…"

As the credits began to roll, I nestled back into the couch; it was nice, after our hectic trip to Germany, to have a minute to relax. And the company wasn't too bad either.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Ehh, I don't know if I liked this one, but I want to know what you think. Please review! I love them! =D Also, please check out my book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble! I'd be so grateful if you did =D

Iforgiveyou: haha I guess not! Haha I loved that part too; I thought it'd be fun and the way they act with each other could be misconstrued…

Queen of Sharks: I love sharks! Here ya go!

Luneara Eclipse: Thanks! Yeah, it must be haha cuz women hold grudges lol. Oh yeah, she's definitely gonna get him back; haven't decided how, but she certainly will…

Ali: Thanks haha! Glad you liked it!

Poland-chans Storyland: Thank you! I'm so glad you're liking her; I was hoping she'd fit in. Yeah, I realized that; I'll be sure to focus on everyone else in future chapters.

xxxRena: Thank you! He's gorgeous lol. Haha glad you liked it; I could so see it! Steve will definitely get payback and I'm glad you like Loki. He is twisted, but I like him a lot. There will be a lot of Loki/Maeve interaction later on; figured he'd try to mess with Thor using her too. Oh, definitely; Tony Stark as a pillow is a wonderful idea lol

CrackYourRein911: Thanks! So glad you're loving it! :D

Dhalmi93: Yeah, I finally found one site that I liked and got myself one. There were no Hulk ones on the lady's page that I got mine from (it's got 'Avengers' and Tony in his Iron Man suit). Pretty cool stuff though. I love the Hulk!

Techflow96: Haha yes! He's so sexy haha… ooh, mind if I use that idea? Cuz that'd be hilarious!

ThoughtlessRage: Thanks! She can create and control anything cold. Snow, ice, hail; the ice tornado was just a cool thought I had too haha. She should paint arrows on her head lol! Glad you like it and her relationships with them; I thought Thor could use an ally, since no one else seems to realize how much he cares about Loki

Cato-lover28: haha thanks!

Sephire Vanya Estelwen: I'm so glad you think so! It's such an awesome movie; I couldn't resist writing a story for it!

DJxChick01: Thank ya! Yeah, I can too; if I wanted to do an alternate one, I would make her and Bruce a couple

Cvjvfkf: haha here ya go!

Mary Jane: Thank you so much! Glad you like the banter haha it's fun to write


	7. Offers of a Sexual Nature & Blueberries

A/N: Sooo, who bought the Avengers? I did and then I had to take it back because it skipped… figures… got a new copy though. I'll have to watch it again to make sure it works properly ;D I'm really upset that I don't have a Blu-Ray player for all of the extra features! =/

Disclaimer: I don't own _the Avengers_. Boooo!

Chapter Six: Offers of a Sexual Nature… and Blueberries…

_Laughing, I simply shook my head and informed him, "You might just wanna watch. But this is a classic, trust me…"_

_As the credits began to roll, I nestled back into the couch; it was nice, after our hectic trip to Germany, to have a minute to relax. And the company wasn't too bad either._

Movie night?

Hilarious.

It would've been better, I assumed, with Bruce and Tony hanging around – I could only imagine what kind of snide comments Stark could come up with about the effects and acting prowess of the classic – but, as it was, it was fantastic.

Thor had so many questions, ranging from how the 'straw-man' was even alive, seeing as he was made completely of straw to how it was so simple to rid the world of a witch, which, in his realm, weren't covered in warts with green skin. Not all of them, anyway…

Steve grew impatient with the Asgardian and his ever persistent questions, casting him pointed glowers every now and then from over the back of the couch. No matter how many times he asked him to keep his voice down, poor Thor just seemed incapable of lowering his voice. Did he talk so powerfully _all _the time? Like, when he was singing in the shower or making love?

_Whooaaaaa… where did _that_ come from?!_ I gaped, flushing uncomfortably in the darkness, grateful that Steve wanted to watch the credits, the Wizard of Oz_ doesn't exactly inspire, um, romantic feelings… or… anything… _

Shit.

Leaping to my feet, I patted Coulson's shoulder, causing him to glance up at me with a complacent smile on his face, "Mind shuttin' things down for me? I'm gonna go wanderin', 'kay?"

"Sure," he nodded, slowly extracting himself from the comfy cushions and making his way toward the DVD player. I didn't trust Thor or Steve to touch it, seeing as they were so out of place with our technology. Didn't want them breaking any of SHIELD's expensive equipment, even if it was just a state of the art player…

"Where are you going, Maeve?" Thor questioned, his brow pinched upward in confusion, though he hadn't moved from the couch. He looked comfortable, legs spread wide, his hands on his thighs, his head resting against the back of the burgundy sofa.

"Uh, just thought I'd go an' see what mischief th' geniuses are up to," I replied with a grin, "they've been gone fer a while. Maybe they've found th' Tesseract and decided not ta tell us…"

"I shall accompany you, then," he replied, smiling warmly, his perfect smile gleaming in the dim light from the flatscreen, shifting and making to stand.

"Why don't ya watch another movie with th' lads?" I queried smoothly, quirking a brow and stilling his actions. Three heads turned in my direction, curiosity burning in each gaze; my face warmed again – curse Thor and his attractiveness. I mean, clearly he was a handsome man – I'd noticed it from the moment he took Loki from the Quinjet, but that didn't mean I was supposed to think about how he sounded during… I mean, he had a perfect voice, low and deep, with an accent that was more than drool-worthy…

_Christ_. I needed a drink…

"Coulson, bring 'em up ta speed with somethin' new," I smirked, eyes drifting to the calm, easy-going agent. If the lights were on, I was certain I'd see a knowing glint in his eyes – he was more perceptive than he liked to let on… "Like maybe _Lord o' th' Rings_… I'd suggest _Boondock Saints_, but I dun' think Mr. Super Soldier, there, would appreciate th' language… dunno if they swear on Asgard," I glanced fleetingly at Thor, who simply watched me silently, "but… anyway… I'll see ya 'round, lads."

Striding quickly from the room, I raked a hand through my spiked hair, nose wrinkling in self-scolding. Smooth, Maeve, very smooth. Shaking off any discomfort, I rolled my eyes; I was above silly high school crushes.

Yes, Thor was attractive. So were the other guys. I could deal with Thor, same way I dealt with everyone; keep it all business and take care of the Tesseract. Relationships had no place in SHIELD – ask Natasha and Clint about that one (well, maybe not Clint; he was busy being brainwashed by Loki, stupid bastard).

Shaking my head, I strolled aimlessly down the hallway, brushing my fingers along the walls occasionally, humming some old song whose name I couldn't remember. Something drew me past the lab where Bruce and Tony were talking – the latter waved his arms adamantly, while Bruce tried to curl into himself, probably unconsciously.

Plastering myself against the window, I threw my arms out wide, one leg flung up against the glass, just waiting for them to notice me. Bruce was the first, the corner of his mouth curling up at one side, waving slightly at me. Tony turned, grinning, before waving me into the room.

Shaking my head, I licked the window when he pouted and turned away, laughing to myself. Maybe I'd stop by and see them in a bit, but, for the moment, I wanted to clear my mind. I hadn't been in SHIELD's headquarters – here, or the one that now lay in ruins – for quite some time; it made me mildly edgy.

SHIELD – and, by default, Fury – and I had a strange relationship. We weren't exactly friends, any of us, but we were mildly alright with each other. There had been an incident, when I was younger, that the director had to get involved in; at the time, I was grateful for his intervention. Of course, he wanted to recruit me then and there; at the ripe age of thirteen, I wasn't _quite_ ready to be involved in anything quite so… shady. I wasn't like Natasha.

He'd been persistent. Probably why I rebelled against anything SHIELD-related when I was younger. The older I had gotten, though, the more understanding I became. I may not have liked everything SHIELD did, but I would help them when I could. When I accepted their reasons for certain missions.

I was kind of an on-call agent, up until a while ago. The line had been crossed one too many times, though I still couldn't recall who was at fault for it… I had known they wouldn't let me go so easily, lose track of me or anything, but I thought maybe a 'vacation' would be just what I needed…

"Distractions can cost you your life, kitten."

Startled, I glanced up quickly, realizing that my wandering had led me directly to Loki's cell. He sat on a little bench along the back wall, his legs stretched out before him, one ankle crossed over the other. His bright, startling eyes were trained on me, one brow quirked slightly, a mixture of amusement and disbelief etched across his face.

"Shut the hell up, Loki," I replied, rolling my eyes upward and, despite the warning bells ringing through my mind, I stalked closer to his cage, "an' don't call me 'kitten'…"

"Oh, of course, _Stripes_," he obliged, a slow smile stretching across his face. It mimicked his actions; the speed of his standing was calculated, predatory.

I immediately steeled myself, head tilted high and nostrils flared, ready for any of his tricks, should he decide to play them.

"What brings you to my _humble_ abode?" he queried, hands innocently wrapped behind his back, watching me make my way toward the glass cage, "come to mock me? Come to pour your heart out about my… big brother?"

The surprise that quickened my pulse was veiled by the cool glance on my face, "There's nothin' ta say about yer brother, 'cept I can see why Fury wanted ta recruit him… Wonder if maybe you'd've been, too, if ya didn't go so barmy…"

"I do not understand, mortal," he replied, almost bitterly. Huh, someone didn't like to be ignorant about anything.

"Basically, you've gone off th' deep end an', if ya hadn't, would you've helped us," I reiterated, leaning back against the wall, arms folded loosely across my chest, ignoring the chuckle that escaped the Norse god, "then again," I tapped a finger to my chin, "we wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't fer you…"

"Off the deep end," Loki repeated, an easy grin on his face, "you've no idea, kitten… I wonder, though, what brought you by… Surely you didn't come for a social call. Maybe there is something about me you couldn't resist…"

"Maybe the urge ta punch ya in th' face," I agreed, brows high on my forehead as I carelessly shrugged a shoulder, "other than that, I can't see what it'd be…"

Loki pursed his lips, eyes slowly drifting along my form, "I prefer your other look, kitten."

"Perv," I sniffed, crossing an ankle over the other; not surprised he liked how I looked in the catsuit – I looked damn good – but still, to hear him say it creeped me out.

"Not that look," he laughed, amusement pooling in his light eyes, "though, I do admit, for a mortal, you did look lovely… No, I meant the one where you were that big animal… what was it?"

"A tiger," I replied loftily, wondering how he'd seen me in that state. I didn't recall being in that form until I'd jumped from the plane. He must've seen me descend through the sky then; I had to agree with him, though – I looked sweet as hell, I imagined.

"Yes," he nodded, "how well do you obey orders, Miss Brady?"

Clicking my tongue, I grinned, realization slapping me upside the head, "So _that's_ where this is going… You want me on yer team, willing or otherwise…"

"I'd prefer willing," he replied, clapping his hands together, "I have the feeling, though, that you will not be swayed by anything I have to offer…"

"What do ya have ta offer?" I queried, feigning curiosity; hell, it wouldn't hurt to know. Could probably tell Fury, have him warn the other agents or something like that…

With a broad grin, he simply held his arms wide. The silence was ringing, a swell of laughter bubbling up inside me. He was offering himself? _That_ was my prize, should I agree to follow him?

Snorting, I allowed a few giggles to escape me, shaking my head, "_Tempting_ as it is, love, I've got more important things ta think about than a roll in th' hay with you… Thanks fer th' offer, though; haven't had a laugh like that in _quite_ some time."

His arms dropped, hanging loosely at his sides, and a furious glower painted his face. It was rather intimidating, though I'd never tell him that. His lips thinned, almost disappearing, and his icy eyes pierced straight through me.

Tapping a finger to my forehead in a mocking salute, I turned on my heel and made my way for the exit.

"If our situations were reversed – Thor's and mine," he called out; I stiffened, wary as to where this was going, "you would accept his offer, I think."

Popping my lips, I flipped him off and strolled out into the corridor. Natasha was headed toward the cell, determination glinting in her narrowed gaze; I didn't bother questioning her about it. Let her have it out with Loki; she was better suited for interrogations than anyone I knew.

Wandering back toward the lab, I shoved the door open and grinned, "Well, lookie here… Two geniuses an' a bag o' blueberries… What could be better?"

Tony grinned, strolling up to me in what I'm sure he assumed was an alluring manner, offering the bag to me, "Decided to grace us with your presence, Stripes?"

"Course," I replied, accepting a handful of the snacks and wandering toward the large, sprawling window behind Bruce. He greeted me softly, a slight grin on his face. The floor below us was abuzz with activity, agents running to and fro as they tried to pinpoint the Tesseract's location. Their best bet was probably to stay still and wait for Tony and Bruce to work their magic.

"So what brings you by?" Bruce inquired, fiddling with something scienc-y or other I couldn't recognize, "I thought you were watching _the Wizard of Oz_?"

"Over," I replied loftily, pushing myself up onto the counter beside Loki's spear, examining the thing with a hint of curiosity, "went fer a walk…"

"What, your bodyguard didn't come with you?" Tony teased, flinging a blueberry at my face, only to frown as I easily swiped it away, "Fabio? Oh, come on," he persisted emphatically at the amused glance Bruce and I exchanged, "you could easily find him on the cover of one of those cheesy romance novels…"

"Familiar with those, are ya?" I taunted, earning, instead of a furious frown, an amused grin and a sly, joking wink, "I dun' have ta have Thor with me all th' time, God… _So_, I went fer a walk, saw you lovely lads in here-"

Tony lifted his phone, offering me the image he'd taken of my pose with a laugh.

"-an' ended up in Loki's cell," I lifted an unconcerned shoulder, gesturing toward the phone in Tony's grasp, ignoring the men's gaping frowns, "send me that, will ya?"

"What'd he do to you, Maeve?" Bruce inquired, disconcertion lacing his tone, his brow furrowed low over his dark, worrisome eyes, "did he say anything to you? Did he try to hurt you?"

"Nope," I replied easily, swinging my legs back and forth carelessly, "well, I mean, he didn't do anythin' ta me… He _did_ offer sex if I'd join his little ragtag team ta take down th' world… Kinda stupid, don't ya think? Sex? Sex in exchange fer takin' over th' world… The guy can't be _that_ good…"

Tony recovered, obviously, because he smirked and strolled toward me, a broad grin on his face. Fisting his hands on either side of my hips, he leaned close, informing me assuredly, "You'd be agreeing if it was me…"

"I'm sure," I replied sarcastically, flicking his nose and glancing at Bruce, who still shifted nervously from foot to foot, "Bruce, it's not like I said yes or anythin'. Or like he got ta me, or anythin' like that. He's just Loki bein' Loki; I'm sure Thor'd tell ya that he's always that way…"

"That who is always what way?"

Shoving Tony away from me, I glanced curiously at Thor, "What're you doin' here?"

"Ah, we were just talking about you, big guy," Tony grinned, waving his arm, beckoning Thor closer despite Bruce's warning, "so, your brother just offered our lovely Stripes, here, sexual favors for her help in taking over the world." He paused a moment, eyes wide, for dramatic effect, "Is he always like that?"

"Sexual…favors?" Thor repeated, brow furrowed, a mixture of disgust and confusion flashing through his lovely, blue eyes as he glanced at me, "he propositioned you? When?"

"Just now," I replied vaguely, jerking a thumb toward the cell, glancing quickly toward Bruce for some back up, "any help, love, would be _greatly_ appreciated… rest assured, one an' all, that I won't be headin' inta Loki's room at any point in time… It wasn't all that temptin' of an offer, honestly… he's all thin an'… pale. Oh, an' intent on takin' over th' world; I don't find that attractive in a man, honestly, lads."

"Maeve, this is unacceptable," Thor noted firmly, crossing the distance between us and taking up Tony's previous position. Flushing, I leaned back against the window, away from him, if only to cool myself down. "Sorry, Thor, but I'm not int'rested in yer brother. None o' you have anythin' ta worry about; he's no vampire – can't drag me to him on a whim. Anyway, it was just ta get me ta work fer him – not like he's in love with me or anythin'…"

"No, I'm sure he's not," Thor replied, scratching his chin and lowering his gaze to my lap. Cue blush. Was Tony snorting back there? God, he needed a good punch to the jaw; I was told I had a mean lefty swing… "But he is not used to being denied what he wants. Perhaps you should stay with someone at all times, Lady Maeve. Loki has many tricks; you may not be safe from him in such close confines."

"I'll take first watch," Tony offered, hand raised high in the air, brows high in bright innocence, "honestly, doesn't bother me at all… We'll go into my room, I'll build us up a Jacuzzi or something… wine, flowers… the works."

"Yeah, I hate to admit it, but you might want to watch your back, Maeve," Bruce noted, rubbing the back of his neck as he offered me a grimacing, appeasing smile. My glare must have been murderous to receive such an apologetic look. "He's trying to mess with us all; it's kind of obvious. Even if it didn't seem like he was affecting you…"

"Guys, if I were star-struck over Loki, I think I'd be findin' a way ta get him out, not hangin' around with th' lot o' you," I replied hastily, folding my arms across my chest, willing Thor to lift his gaze from my legs; even if they were fully clad and he probably wasn't starting anywhere inappropriate, the depth of my irritation couldn't be fully felt if I was flushing like a baby…

The three men exchanged disbelieving looks; if only Steve were there to make it a whole set. Maybe Natasha would be on my side, were she there…

Desperate to change the subject – and to avoid the handsome, Norse god who still had yet to step away from me, I queried curiously, "So how far have you guys gotten? Did you find the Tesseract yet?"

"We're working on it," Bruce replied, gesturing toward one of the see-through monitors hanging from the ceiling, "Maeve…"

"What're you fiddling with, Tony?" I inquired, ignoring the scientist and pinning Tony with a curious glance.

He peered up at me, turning the sweet phone in his hand toward me, "Just an encryption code. Tryin' to see what Fury's up to… You know he's up to something, don'tcha, Stripes?"

It wouldn't surprise me if he was, so I simply shrugged, waiting for him to explain. He stuck his tongue out at me – probably payback for earlier – and glanced at Bruce, "You should come by Stark Tower sometime… Top ten floors – all R & D; you'd love it… It's like Candyland…"

"Maeve," Thor stated silently, pleadingly, his gaze lifting to show his sorrowful, crystalline eyes, "you must tread carefully around my brother. I believe he is simply misguided, but that guidance will turn him against you. I know that I can handle whatever attacks Loki means to hit me with, but you are not. You are small, fragile… I do not want to see you hurt. Please stay away from him."

Instead of snapping at him, assuring him that I could handle myself or that I wouldn't willingly seek out Loki again, I inhaled sharply, sighing heavily, "I will, don't worry. I came across him by accident… actually, I thought I handled meself well enough against him. Told him th' offer wasn't good enough fer me an' left."

"Then you did handle yourself well," Thor smiled, a beautiful thing, I tell you, straightening though making no move to step away, "I do not understand why that was his offer. I know my brother; it is not like him to use sexual advances to gain allies."

_He did it cuz he knows I think yer pretty_, I mused silently, offering him a clueless shrug instead, _he knows I'd say yes ta you in a heartbeat… Sure, I'd feel guilty about it later, prob'ly, but, aye… I'd say yes…_

Before I could reply – I wasn't sure if I was going to tell him what Loki had said or not – Bruce let out a wounded gasp.

"Are you nuts?!"

Peering over Thor's burly shoulder, I watched Steve power into the room, scowling darkly at Tony; his jaw clenched, obviously furious with the billionaire's antics.

"Jury's out, apparently," I quirked a brow, smirking amusedly, patting Thor's chest and regaining his attention, "listen, thanks for yer concern; I do appreciate it. But ya dun' have ta worry; I won't be goin' near Loki unless it's ta break his nose…"

Thor grinned, lifting a hand and brushing his fingers along my jaw. His touch was surprisingly soft, gentle, against my skin, his eyes equally so. The only thing that had me tearing my curious gaze from him was that I was more curious about what Tony had done to irk Steve so badly.

"Wow, you really have got a lid on it," Tony noted, a pointy, electrical screwdriver thing in hand as he squinted down at Bruce; oh Lord, he wanted to provoke the Hulk… "What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve inquired, arms folded tightly across his chest. He still hadn't changed from our little escapade in Germany, though he didn't don the hood, fortunately. That'd just be awkward.

"Funny things are," Tony replied, gesturing toward Steve with the electrical device.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny," Steve snapped, nostrils flaring, "no offense, Doc."

"No, it's alright," Bruce waved it off, "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things."

"This room's gettin' dirtier an' dirtier," I mused, a sly smirk on my face as I waved a hand toward my face, trying to cool myself down, "Tony reads romance novels, Bruce handles pointy things… I'm feelin' a bit overwhelmed… and not a little turned on…"

Tony smirked, his scientific companion blushing awkwardly; Steve's eyes blazed with irritation despite the flush on his face, while Thor just laughed. It disrupted the growing tension in the room for a moment, but the billionaire and the super soldier quickly resumed their argument. It was kind of amusing, watching two similar personalities go back and forth; as much as they would have hated to hear it, they were more alike than they would ever know.

Currently they were feuding over Fury's involvement in the Tesseract business. Why was someone involved in the security of the world, of Earth, so interested in something that held so much power? So much energy? It probably wasn't anything good, knowing SHIELD.

"A warm light for all mankind," Bruce was saying, glancing up at Tony despite his reluctance to get involved in their argument, "Loki's jab at Fury about the cube…"

"Yeah, I heard it," Steve nodded; Bruce shifted his attention to Tony, "I think that was meant for you."

"Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news," Bruce continued, popping a blueberry into his mouth.

"What, that big ugly-," Tony shot him an irritated glance, one that Steve refused to back down, "tower in New York?"

Tony simply offered him the bag of blueberries in congratulations. Intrigued now, I narrowed my gaze in thought, "Th' arc reactor; that's self-sustainin', right? Clean energy an' all…" Glancing between Thor and Steve, both of whom looked mildly lost, I continued, "He's _the_ name in energy… If he could get th' arc reactor in every big city, our energy use would be cut in half, prob'ly…"

"Bravo, Stripes," Tony grinned, pleasantly surprised as he lobbed a blueberry at me. This time, I caught it in my mouth, winking, "So if he's th' only name an' SHIELD wants ta work on energy, why didn't they ask him about it?"

Bruce nodded, shifting around the desk and leaning back against it, "What are they even doing in the energy business in the first place?"

"I should probably look into that as soon as my decryption program finishes breaking into all of

SHIELD's secure files," Tony replied, glancing down at his phone once more.

That just infuriated Steve, his anger stoked at Tony's blatant lack of disregard for SHIELD and its privacy. It didn't surprise me that Tony was using this JARVIS – probably a program or something, as I quietly explained to Thor, who watched on, trying to process our Midgardian language – to try and crack through SHIELD's defenses. This was Tony Stark we were talking about…

"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence?" Tony mused skeptically, lips pursed in annoyance, "historically, not awesome."

"I don't trust Fury as far as I can throw him," I added, lips drawn to one side as Steve lost another ally in the room. Thor didn't count – he knew the god didn't trust Fury, especially seeing as he had his brother under lock and key. "I'm sorry, Steve, but you know it's true… Fury's up ta somethin'; I'd like ta know what it is, too… Tell me you do…"

"We should follow our orders, Maeve," Steve retorted tightly, his tone forced, controlled. He was about to blow his top, the poor lad…

"Following's not really my style," Tony mused, striding up to the captain, the pair of them chest to chest. Eyes flashing, his lip curled, daring the soldier to respond.

"And you're all about style, aren't you?" Steve growled, nostrils flaring as he refused to back down.

Testosterone overload.

"Out of the people in this room, which one is "A" wearing a spangly outfit, "B" not of use, "C" _and_ "D", not even from this country?" Tony inquired sarcastically, gesturing toward Steve's uniform.

"Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you," Bruce stated, his tone calm, pleading.

Thor pushed away from the counter suddenly – I missed his comforting presence – and strode up to the men, one hand on each of their chests, "You must cease your fighting. This is what Loki wants from you. It is for the best if you put aside your differences…"

Steve merely glared at us all – I pressed an innocent hand to my chest – and muttered, "Just find the cube."

Then he was gone.

~!~!~!~!~!~

Not happy with the ending, but we're getting toward the good stuff! Please review; I'd love to know what you think! Also, check out my ebooks on Amazon or Barnes and Noble; I'd really appreciate it! Check out my profile for info or PM me.

Queen of Sharks: Here ya go!

Amy: haha thank you! Yeah, I need to clear that up; I'll do it soon.

Fantasy-Mania31: It's gonna be fun haha!

xxxRena: Yes, he is! Hope you enjoyed the Loki scene in here; it just seemed amusing.

iForgiveYou: Yes! Mine too! Basically anything with Tony cracks me up lol. Thank ya!

Thoughtlessrage: Thank you! Haha I thought she'd be a good addition! Lol oh Tony; he'd never do it for real; I think she'll be friends with Maeve. Haha mine too!

Luneara Eclipse: Haha yes! Tony deserves it! Ooh, that's awesome; I'll have to throw that in there!

Techflow96: me too!

Watergoddesskasey: Thanks!

Amore1993: Yes! Thank you! He's definitely the one =D

KaityMaxz: Thank you!

Cato-Lover28: haha thanks! Wow, I can't believe it! I'm glad you like it so much; I'm sorry it took so long to update

Human-wolf Hybrid No.008: Thanks! Ooh, I'll have to check it out!

CherryBlossomTrinity: Thanks =D I hoped everyone would like her

RipplesOfAqua: Thank you! I know, I thought maybe Bruce would be good for her; it's surprisingly easy to write them together. I'm so glad you like her and her name =D Tigers rule! Ahah

Sephira Vanya Estelwen: Here ya go!

WolfDarkfur: oh that's a great idea! When she turns into one, I'll definitely use that ;D thanks for the idea!

XxlittlexwitchxX: thank ya!

Ccgnme: thank you! Hope you like this one!

Death's Inevitable Kiss: Thank ya! Me too; he's so attractive =D

Loki's Girl: Thank you; I appreciate that! I like Loki more than I did when I first saw the Avengers (cuz I saw it before Thor; once I saw Thor, I really liked Loki). I'll definitely put more Loki in it; he's fun to write!

Yodes: Okie doke! =D

Ryle Culler: Thanks! Here ya go!

Scottjunkie: Thank you =D

Kimberlyy: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it; I wanted it to look more realistic than a Mary Suish portrayal. That's a good idea; I may use it =) Yeah, I thought this would be a good way to get him in there; seems like an amusing way to throw him in =D


	8. The Chase

Author's Note: Dooooooo woppppp! Yeah, I just felt like it. No real news today; still trying to make it big as an author lol… So, after watching the Avengers, I discovered Jeremy Renner and his attractiveness. Yes, I thought he was hot, but the more I watch it – and the fact that he was in Pink's "Trouble" video as a sexy sheriff _and_ that he can sing and play the piano – I find myself incredibly attracted to him haha. Just thought you'd all like to know. I may have him and Maeve be very flirty later on in the fic; idk...

Disclaimer: I don't own _the Avengers. _I do, however, own Maeve and a Captain America shirt I got from J.C. Penney's men's clearance department. Yesss

Chapter Seven: The Chase

_Steve merely glared at us all – I pressed an innocent hand to my chest – and muttered, "Just find the cube." _

_Then he was gone._

"So, um, wonder where he's wandered off to," I mused in the ensuing silence, clicking my tongue and kicking my legs up onto the desk. Lying back against the cool, smooth surface, I allowed my eyes to drift shut and rested a forearm over my face.

Loki was driving me nuts. He was driving everyone on the ship nuts. If we couldn't handle him and his deranged mischievousness, we were screwed. He'd have us over a barrel and that'd be that.

Hey, Loki, want the Earth wrapped up in a nice, bright bow and handed to you on a silver platter? Well, just keep it up with the awkward tensions and macho pissing contests; it's yours, plus six Avengers for the price of one!

"Good riddance," Tony noted gruffly, returning to his previous work and mumbling, "that's the guy my dad never shut up about? I'm wondering if they should've left him on ice…"

"Not nice," I chided, curling up on my side, toward the window, away from the others. All I needed was a good nap; that trip to Germany wiped me out. Maybe, if they didn't make too much noise, I'd be able to fall asleep; I didn't feel like crawling to my temporary housing and I was certain that their scientific nonsense would lull me into a nice, heavy sleep. "It's not easy bein' a capsicle…"

"You okay, Maeve?" Bruce called suddenly, his tone soft, cautious. What? Did he think I was going to bite his head off again about Loki? Nah, I was over it, so long as he was… "You should probably go to your room…"

"Don't want me here, Brucey?" I peered over my shoulder, casting him a rather exhausted smile, "rude. I thought we were friends."

"No sleeping on the job," Tony announced, his tone growing louder as I resumed my fetal position once again. I could feel him hovering over me, probably with that stupid pokey thing in hand, "If you're sleeping, you're subject to any experiments we can come up with, no matter how lewd… I think you'll enjoy yourself, though; I know I will…"

Humming, I pursed my lips, noting tiredly, "Go away, Tony."

"If you snore, I swear to God, I'll never let you live it down." I could almost _hear_ the smirk in his tone, his bright, pearly teeth gleaming as he loomed over me, probably readying the stick to electrocute me.

Before he could – he had the instrument poised over me, his eyes comically wide as I caught him – I rolled upward, onto my feet, and scooted away from him. Thor had been in the process of taking a step forward, it seemed, to stop the billionaire from whatever he had planned for me, one hand raised uselessly before him.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave ya here," I grumbled, stalking toward the door, "don't get yer panties in a bunch, Stark; there's been enough o' that on this ship since I got here…"

"I'm not wearing any panties," he smirked, hooking a finger through one of his belt loops, bouncing up on the balls of his feet.

"I'm gone."

Iron Man's laughter followed me out of the lab, though, with my hearing, even as I trailed down the hallway, I could hear Bruce scold him for scaring me off. It probably wouldn't have been a big deal if I took a nap while they worked; he wouldn't have let anything happen to me, if Tony had been serious. But when Stark wanted to work, he wanted to work, it seemed.

Just another side of him they didn't show on the news.

Trudging down the hallway, I didn't bother to wait for Thor to catch up for me. A few powerful strides brought him to my side in seconds, his sapphire gaze ducking to catch my own, "Lady Maeve, would you like me to escort you to your chambers?"

"Yes," I replied instantly, ducking my head to hopefully hide the blush that splattered across my face. _Way to sound like you're gonna grab him by his front and drag him into your bed, Maeve-y girl…_, I taunted myself, _sound like a bloody rapist_; Lord, I needed to sleep. How these people could go without a few good hours of sleep – or food, it seemed – was beyond me. Give me a steak and a bed and I was set. Maybe throw an attractive superhero in there with me and I'd be a happy camper.

"The metal man is not wrong," he announced suddenly, a hand to his chin, his jaw set in thought, in concern, "I do not like the idea of the director keeping secrets from us. It will do more harm, in the end, than good."

"I know," I agreed, nodding slowly – it was all I was capable of at the moment, "Fury's been known ta withhold information from people, myself included, but I think, in this instance, we have a right ta know what he's plannin'. I hate bein' used…"

"Do not worry, Maeve," the blond god of thunder stated, the corners of his mouth curving upward in a soft, warm smile, "you have many friends on this craft. You will not be ill-used if we can help it."

Swallowing thickly, I paused before my door, opting to keep quiet before I blurted something awkward, something embarrassing, aloud. Inhaling deeply, slowly, I instead offered him a grateful grin, "I'll see you in a bit, Thor. Thanks for keeping me comp'ny; I appreciate it."

Turning fully to me, he straightened, outstretching a massive hand in the most regal manner I'd ever seen. Of course, he _was_ royalty, it was the way he was raised; it was just too damned sexy to keep me from grinning.

Placing my tiny hand in his, he delicately raised it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles, his deep, smoldering gaze never leaving mine, "Sleep well, milady."

Fighting the urge to lick my now dry lips – and sink to the floor in a useless heaping pile of goo – I merely blushed and nodded, disappearing quickly into my room. Once I was alone, I shook my head, blinking rapidly to fight the growing desire to yank the door open and plant a wet one right on his mouth.

Would he care?

I wouldn't.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Literally singing 'tra-la-la' over and over again, I moved languidly, swiftly, through the winding corridors on the helicarrier. Feeling far more rested than I had since the whole fiasco started, I made a pit stop at the cafeteria for something to fill the cavernous void in my stomach.

"Maeve, I need your help."

Spinning, brows high on my forehead, I made a show of wild surprise at Steve's sudden appearance, "Well look who it is! Captain America; what're you doin' here?!"

He looked tired, his blue eyes somewhat dulled, bags forming beneath them, but the determination he felt was evident on his handsome face. His mouth set in a thin line, he peered around quickly, as though he didn't want anyone to know who he was or that he was there. No one seemed to care, going about their business and filling their own stomachs; he was in the clear.

"I'm serious," he replied, jaw clenching slightly as I snatched a massive blueberry muffin from the mountainous pile before me, "I need you to cause a distraction for me."

"Well," I blinked, the request startling but simple, "I don't see why I couldn't… Are ya gonna tell me what for?"

He shifted from foot to foot and – were he any less masculine – he probably would have been wringing his hands, anxious as he seemed, "It's… complicated."

"I've time for a complicated man, Captain," I winked, my tone low, sensual; he squirmed and I giggled, "why didn't ya ask Tony? I'm sure he's good at creatin' distractions; he likes when people pay attention ta him."

"I don't know about Stark," the captain replied darkly, catching my elbow gently and guiding me out of earshot of any passing agents, "he's an… I just don't like him."

_Well _that_ just goes without sayin',_ I mentally teased; I didn't want to prod him, though, so early in the morning. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep and he was adamant about completing some kind of mission that required a distraction.

"Lay it on me, Cap," I announced cheerily, shoving a good portion of the muffin into my mouth – it earned me a flinching grimace from the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan, but I was hungry, "what can I do for ya that Tony Stark can't?"

Okay, I couldn't resist the dig. I just felt like I hadn't messed with him in a while; he _needed_ to be teased.

"I want to look into what Stark was talking about," he replied, scratching the back of his neck, the only evidence that he was somewhat nervous about his plan. His stride and tone betrayed nothing, powerful and confident as ever. "About Fury lying to us. If he is… I just want to know. This isn't what I signed up for, fighting for someone who won't tell me the whole truth."

"Love, th' military doesn't always tell ya everything either," I patted his arm gently, almost consolingly; he wasn't naïve by any means, but he seemed to be loyal to a fault, "but aye, I can do that for ya. Just let me know when an' where…"

A small smile crossed his mouth – he did have a pretty mouth, didn't he? – and he dipped his head in thanks, "Anywhere. It doesn't matter. Just keep most of the attention on you, if you can. For as long as you can."

Tapping a finer to my forehead in mock salute, I darted off down the hall, concocting a viable plan that would keep even Fury's all-seeing eye on me, "Good luck, Captain!"

Humming, I twisted and turned through the halls, wondering what my best bet would be. Well, whatever it was, I certainly needed to get my new suit on; a distraction as a tiger would be ten times better than a distraction as a meek little human.

So, in only ten minutes' time this time, I changed into the navy cat suit, zipping it up the front and raking a hand through my hair. I had considered chasing my tail – it was always a funny, diverting show and as a massive tiger, it would be even funnier – but I doubted that would distract Fury for long.

Havoc it was, then.

Slipping back into the hallway, I made certain to pass by agents as innocently as possible. Some greeted me briefly; others simply ignored me and carried on with their duties. Bobbing my head to a song fluttering through my crazy-ass brain, I wandered into the command center, offering Phil a broad grin and a wave as he shifted his attention to me.

Good; he'd seen me.

Now it was time to play.

Without a word, I calmed myself down, allowing the creeping tingling to move through my body. Within seconds, I allowed my dark eyes to drift open once more, now on all fours. Some of the agents noticed my change in form, glancing warily between themselves, wondering what I was up to.

Well, if they didn't trust me, I would give 'em a reason not to. Letting out a powerful roar, I crouched low to the ground, ears flattened to the top of my head. Teeth bared, I let out a dangerous hiss, sending the closest agents toppling back over their chairs to put a good distance between us.

Fury stood tall, his hand at his hip, resting on his gun. His tone loud, terse, he snapped angrily, "Miss Brady! Care to explain what you're doing?"

_Not really_, I mused, muscles coiling as I dropped myself into a launching position. I only hoped that Fury would find me valuable enough to keep from having his crew shoot at me.

Instead, I let out a low, warning growl, stalking slowly across the metal catwalk, pinning everyone with a vicious glower. Yeah, I was badass; I think the guy playing Gallaga pissed himself a little bit…

"Maeve Brady, stand down!"

My left ear twitched toward the PA system, where I could hear someone, probably Hill, calling for backup. All agents on deck. Thor, Black Widow, Iron Man, and Captain America were to report, as well; they had a hostile.

Their target was a massive, black and white cat, codename Stripes, apparently.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Probably should've told at least my fellow Avengers that it wasn't anything they needed to concern themselves with…

With a terrifying snarl, I leapt over the nearest set of monitors, sending another round of agents scattering; still, Fury kept them from shooting their weapons, even if they were drawn. Before anyone could decide to go rogue, I darted out of the command center, through the hallways and away from where I hoped Steve was.

Every now and again, I would turn, casting a quick glance over my shoulder, to make sure that the agents were on my tail.

_Please don't let Tony or Natasha come after me,_ I begged, paws pounding against the slick, steel floor, _or Thor. Good God, don't let Thor come after me…_ I did _not _relish the idea of that hammer being used against me.

"Maeve! What're you doing?!"

Bruce was before me, hands held out in front of him, his eyes flitting nervously to and fro, "Is it Loki? Is he controlling you?"

"He has to be," Tony announced, fully decked out in his red and gold suit, taking a defensive stance; I don't think he wanted to hurt me, but he wouldn't be against it if I attacked him.

Rude.

"Well, it's cooler than I thought," Tony announced, tilting his head to one side, his deeper voice sounding mildly impressed, "what's new pussy cat?"

Finding I wasn't going to stop, both men dove out of the way, hoping not to be plowed into by a big-ass cat; I couldn't stop myself, though. Skidding across the smooth surface, I scrambled to regain my footing, darting down a different corridor with at least two dozen SHIELD agents at my back.

The chase went on for another five minutes before I caught up with Bruce again. He was chewing on his thumbnail, his eyes twitching every now and then, as though he didn't know whether or not he should get involved.

Stumbling to a halt, I peered quickly behind me. No one was around, not even Tony, who had gotten into the chase, unable to help himself it seemed. Once clear, I shifted back into my human form, grateful for the cat suit molded to my body. Breathless, I caught his arm, silencing him before he could even question my motives, "Steve asked me ta cause a distraction. Thought this was th' best way. I think he's lookin' fer somethin' on Fury. So, just… tell Tony not ta worry; an' Thor an' Natasha. I don't need them kickin' my ass…"

"Why didn't you just say something, Maeve?" Bruce inquired, his tone a harsh whisper, a wry smile crossing his face, "what if they shoot you?"

"They haven't yet," I shrugged, dropping myself to the ground once more, back in my furry, other form. He took a tentative step back, still anxious, it seemed, before I swerved around him, the sound of harsh, quick footsteps approaching.

Hopefully, he would stop the others from their pursuit; I hadn't seen Nat or Thor yet, but they were probably staking out the perfect spot to take me down from. Clint would've had me on the ground, a tranquilizer dart in my side, within seconds.

For the first time, I was grateful that he wasn't around.

While I was far more agile in this form than I was in my human form, it was still tiring, escaping the clutches of my pursuers. There were no more signs of Tony, so I could only assume that Bruce had gotten to him, told him what I was doing. Someone, unfortunately, didn't tell Thor that.

He darted suddenly before me; I crashed into his legs, unable to stop myself at the suddenness of it all. We tumbled to the ground in a heap; in my haste to escape and my fear that he might attack me – he had the hammer in hand, so sue me – I shifted back into my human form in mid roll. He ended up above me, staring down at me, astonishment flashing through his bright eyes.

Still, he must not have trusted me just yet – I _did_ start a wild goose chase, the agents under the assumption that I'd flipped my lid and would start destroying things. One hand on my shoulder, he hovered above me, his cape practically draped over the pair of us.

Chest heaving, I dropped my head to the floor, eyes screwed shut as I tried to regain my breath, "Christ, Thor; you're like a brick."

"What happened, Maeve?" he inquired, his tone low, his hammer on the ground beside us; obviously he wouldn't use it unless he absolutely had to. Hope bubbled inside me, along with a startling warmth at the intensity of his gaze. "Why do you run?"

"I…," my words died in my throat as his soft, blond hair tickled my face, struck dumb momentarily by his beauty, "em… I needed to distract Fury's men; personal request and everythin'…"

"From my brother?" he queried, his brow pinching upward, pain and betrayal flashing through his sapphire gaze, "Maeve, I had thought…"

"From Steve," I announced suddenly, nostrils flaring as I tried in vain to regulate my breathing. He wasn't making it easy, not with his warm, intoxicating scent and his penetrating gaze. Confusion overtook him, lips twitching downward in a pursed frown.

_Must. Focus. _

"Trust me; it's not Loki," I assured him, licking my lips and relaxing limply against the floor; I was done running. If Steve got caught now, screw him; I'd given him enough time to search for what he wanted to find. "Just Steve."

Thor's handsome features smoothed out, offering me a short nod, though he made no move to stand. As though realizing our position for the first time – _trust me, buddy, I've noticed yer body…_ - he gazed curiously down at me, intrigue pooling in those lovely eyes of his.

"Your other form is impressive," he noted suddenly, his tone dropping low. Heart clenching, I found myself recalling my earlier thoughts; no, he could lower his voice, keep it intimate, quiet, when he wanted.

Puddle o' goo.

"Well, I try," I laughed weakly, drawing my lower lip into my mouth and giving it a light bite. _Calm yer ragin' hormones, cat… Don't wanna jump him, 'specially with all those agents after ya…_

"Shall we see what the captain has found?" Thor questioned softly, his arms braced on either side of my head, the lower half of his body still pinning me to the floor. It wasn't a painful position, but it wasn't altogether comfortable either. I mean, it _certainly_ would have been, in a more intimate setting and all, but out, on the floor, where _Fury_ could wander up…

Still, I didn't _want_ to move. It took a good amount of willpower to answer – even if the reluctance showed itself in my tone – and I had to shift my gaze to the ceiling behind him, "I s'pose. Would ya help me up, then?"

Thor gave a short nod – I only saw it out of the corner of my eye, unwilling to weaken my resolve further – and shifted slightly. Instead of rising, though, he dipped his head, his warm, soft lips molding to the corner of my jaw.

Inhaling sharply, I met his gaze, bewilderment evident in my gaze; he simply regarded me silently before smiling a tiny, breathtaking smile, and helped me to my feet. Well, if he let go of my arm, I would've dropped right back to the floor; even so innocent of a touch had my nerves alight with excitement, with trepidation.

_Can we go back ta th' floor please?_ I wondered, mildly desperately, despite the fact that I straightened and made to wander back to the lab. It would've been… well, it would've been something else, I can tell you that.

On the off-chance that we came across any agents, Thor shielded me from sight, his solid, steady form at my back. My body hummed at his close proximity, but I fought the falling haze of lust that seemed to be descending on me. Didn't need to try and haul him off around the corner and have my way with him.

Again, the thought of Fury approaching…

Shuddering, I nearly skipped into the lab, my mind and body humming, glancing between Tony and Bruce, the former having gotten rid of his suit. He peered up at me, a strange glance crossing his face as he peered between Thor and I – I probably was red as a tomato, earning the curious frown…

"What was Steve looking for, Maeve?" Bruce questioned, rounding the counter and approaching me, a hand resting on my shoulder, "they didn't catch up with you, did they?"

"No," I replied, my tone rather squeaky thanks to the god behind me – he only chuckled, fueling my embarrassment, "no. I ran inta Thor – literally – an' we didn't come across anyone else. Dunno what Steve wanted exactly; don't think he did, either."

"Prob'ly had to do with this," Tony revealed what he'd discovered, thanks to JARVIS; blueprints for weaponry.

What the hell?

Fury was creating weapons… using the Tesseract? Well, I could honestly say it didn't really surprise me. This was SHIELD we were talking about; they were all about protecting Earth, even if it meant creating weapons of mass destruction…

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?"

Oh, well, lookie there; it was Fury. And he looked more than furious; he was pissed. Whether it was because I'd dragged him through the helicarrier or that Tony had finally broken into the director's secret files, I couldn't be sure.

"You," he jabbed a threatening finger at me, his lip curling in disgust, "I'll deal with you later. I want to know what you're up to, Stark…"

"Uh, kind of been wondering the same thing about you," he replied easily, strolling forward, draping an arm around my shoulder and pecking my cheek, "she was just giving us all a hand. Clever, don't'cha think? Took you on a, uh, wild _cat_ chase…"

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract," Fury snarled, arms folded tightly across his chest, just waiting for the opportunity to kick our asses to hell and back.

"We are, the model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now," Bruce gestured toward the screen where a similar system to the one we'd used to find Loki searched the globe for the missing cube, "when we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile."

"And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss," Tony announced, flipping his phone toward the director and inquiring innocently, "what is Phase Two?"

Steve strode into the room, his hostile glare pinned on Fury, as he slammed a massive gun on the steel table with a resounding clang. Fists clenched, his nostrils flared as he growled, "Phase Two is SHIELD using the cube to make weapons… Sorry, the computer was running a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract," Fury announced, his tone shifting surprisingly toward in a more placating direction, "that doesn't mean we're…"

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony turned one of the large, hanging screens toward the director; the blueprints for the very weapon before us clearly evidence of SHIELD's handiwork in its creation, "what were you lying?"

"Christ, Fury, what were ya thinkin'?" I inquired, tentatively stepping toward the weapon and poking it. It was massive, looking quite like a gun, but with more buttons. The way Fury twitched when I touched it told me that he probably didn't even know what set it off.

Stepping away, I fell into spot beside Steve, arms folded across my chest. Glancing up at him, I caught his gaze; he offered me a slight smile, appreciation gleaming in his light eyes. With a nod, I slapped his ass, announcing loudly, "Nice job, Captain. Way ta go."

Tony laughed loudly at the sheer terror on Steve's handsome – albeit ashen – face, clapping his hands together, and pointed both forefingers at the SHIELD agent, "Give us something, or the suit goes back to New York."

"Aye, I'm not willin' ta fight for ya if ya can't be at least a little bit honest with us, Fury," I folded my arms across my chest, squinting one eye and giving him a fierce stink-eye.

Thor startled me from my intimidating stance, though, his large hand mimicking my earlier action. Jumping, I squeaked, staring, eyes wild, up at him; he simply offered me an innocent smile, "I like your method of gratitude, Maeve."

Bruce and tony shared a knowing, smug smirk, before Natasha disrupted whatever gaping response I could give. She strode into the room, ignoring both Steve's and my mortification, as well as the weapon on the table. Pinning Bruce with a vicious, unyielding stare, she queried heatedly, "You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?"

My ass still stinging from Thor's approving gesture, I peered around the room, the hectic tension rising quickly. What the hell was going on?

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Hehe, so what'd you think?! I like this chapter, personally. Please review, I'd love to hear from you. If you like my writing, check out my other stories and even my e-books! I'd appreciate hearing from my lovely readers! :D

Ryle Culler: Thank ya! I hope you enjoyed this one too!

Fantasy-Mania31: Hehe I hope you liked her in this one. Much tiger-ness and far more to come!

Queen of the sharks: Sweet! I love it!

Watergoddesskasey: Aw thanks! I appreciate it :D

Techflow96: I missed me too! Hehe!

Luneara Eclipse: thanks! I mean, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it. The idea of him all hot and sweaty and… *drool*. I haven't quite decided yet, but input would be awesome! Which would you prefer?

Guest: Thanks! I was hoping she wasn't a Mary Sue; I would hate that…

Loki's Girl: I'll try! :D I write my own stuff too, so idk how often I'll get chapters up. This and my Walking Dead story are taking precedence out of all the stories I have on here. Yeah, I like Loki; he's so fun to write too! He is adorable, especially in Thor. Yeah, I like that idea… I think I want her to be with Thor when they all split up. We'll see next chapter haha!

Sephira Vanya Estelwen: Here ya go!

Crazy Cocoa: hehe I love snails! And ketchup. Together… lol. Thank you!

xxxRena: Thanks so much! Yeah, I love Tony, he's great. Did ya like the Thor/Maeve goodness here?

Guest: Thanks :D

Dalonega Noquisi: Aaw thanks! I'm proud of Maeve; she's a great character, at least I like to think so.

Ali: Thanks! She loves you too

Whitefyrefoxxy: thank you. I'm glad you're liking it!

Casey21791: Thanks! I'm so glad you think so; some people are hard to write but I like to think I can capture them when I write them.

Hefi: Haha right? Poor guy; he thought he could get her to do it. DON'T MAKE ME SWOON! The thought of Thor all… naked… I may faint… haha glad you like it though!


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